Gray: Scorpius Malfoy and the Blood Runes
by Sir Manayaz
Summary: (I): After a trauma, the Malfoys are reluctant to send their son off to Hogwarts, especially after Scorpius gets off to an eventful start and nothing goes as planned. He finds things are wrong at Hogwarts under the rule of a dangerous headmaster who has it in for him while in the shadows lie an even greater threat than anyone could have foreseen. COMPLETE
1. I: To Go or Not to Go?

_**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter, belongs to JK Rowling, just borrowing the characters_

* * *

It was the first day of Hogwarts, the day most young witches and wizards looked forward to most during their childhood. Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy had once been no exception but the events of the previous year had changed him, damaged him and his once childish enthusiasm was replaced by numb indifference.

He had somehow hoped when he woke up today he would magically feel excited the way he used to be, but no, he'd awoken from the cruelly frequent nightmares feeling as depressed as ever. He lay there for awhile trying to muster some sense of happiness, it was hard to remember what that felt like.

He glanced beside his bed at the picture of him and his dad, taken not too long before… before the event. It was when his father had let him ride on his broom with him, or rather just after, he was beaming and his father just looked proud as the picture put its arm around Scorpius' younger self while the other still held the broom. He tried to remember the feeling but it only saddened him, he wished he could be the picture, forever happy.

He sighed and mechanically got himself dressed forcing himself not to look at the scar wrapped around his left wrist, when he was done he simply sat back down on the edge of the bed quietly and waiting staring at the floor. He had already gotten everything packed the previous day, there was nothing left to do.

Solemnly he listened to the silence, realizing he probably wouldn't get that in a busy school crammed with people. He couldn't decide which he preferred or rather which he hated more, being around people or being around himself. He sighed again before hastily grabbing the picture from beside his bed and shoving it into his trunk, he kept failing his promise to stop packing photographs.

Deciding it was better to get going before he could pack any other pictures he let the solitude of his room, the halls were as dark as empty as he felt despite the sunshine that streamed through the large window in his room. He quickly made his way downstairs but paused at the bottom as he heard raised voices arguing, as he got closer to the kitchen he realized they were arguing about him.

"-How can you even be considering not sending him to Hogwarts Draco?! Every Malfoy goes to Hogwarts, every Malfoy gets sorted into Slytherin, it is tradition!" his grandfather's voice yelled angrily and he peered his head in enough to see his family sitting around the kitchen table, except his grandfather who was standing and slamming his fist on the table, "not to mention what the wizarding world would think, they'd think my grandson squib!"

"By Merlin's beard Father! For once try to think about someone other than yourself!" his father's voice retorted equally furiously leaping up, "Scorpius has been through a lot and… and he's still not himself, it's hard enough without the added pressure of schoolwork and the drama of Hogwarts. We're not saying to never send him to Hogwarts, just to give him some more time."

"So he can be behind everyone else and in the wrong year?! That's so much better Draco! Stop smothering the boy, if you really want him to be normal again then send him to Hogwarts, being around normal people will be good for him despite the filthy mudbloods they let in."

"I'm with Draco, its only been three months Lucius, it seems cruel to just send him away so soon," his grandmother joined the conversation, "he's so young, he's my little precious grandson, he shouldn't be all alone in the big scary wizarding world. Think of all the prejudice we get, kids can be such bullies!"

"For the love of…" his grandfather began rolling his eyes at his wife's emotion but seemed to give up, shaking it off as his eyes glinted with anger once more, "Scorpius will _never_ be normal again if you don't send him to Hogwarts! It's the best place for him! I had a great time at Hogwarts and so will he, plus it'll teach him to defend himself so this will never happen to him again! I can't believe all of you and I can't believe you waited until the day he leaves to have doubts, he's a Malfoy he's not as weak as you seen to believe!"

"Have you even seen him lately? Besides he's our son Lucius!" his father yelled, "its up to us to decide what's best for him, not you!"

"Isn't it also your job to protect him? Great job you did there, Draco!"

"You didn't do that much better."

"I didn't let you get ruined for life by filthy muggles," his grandfather said coldly and Scorpius was surprised by the hurt in his father's eyes as he stared at the table with an expression that looked more guilty than he'd thought possible, "it makes me sick and you let it happen, its all your fault he's broken. Being too overprotective is just as bad as not being protective enough, don't fail Scorpius again by stealing his last chance at normality!"

"Silence!" his mother yelled finally, she'd had her head in her hands since Scorpius had came down but as she spoke she looked up and he saw her face stained with tears, "did any of you think to actually ask Scorpius what he wants?"

"He's just a baby!"

"He doesn't know what he wants!"

"He wouldn't understand anything!"

At the same moment Scorpius realized it was probably the first time he had ever heard the three of them agree on anything his mother realized he was there, her eyes widened and the trio in turn looked in his direction. Why they looked stunned he had no idea, maybe they'd forgotten he existed but he was angry. He may be the first to admit he wasn't the same but he knew he was by no means as stupid as they seemed to think he was, he wasn't entirely sure why he was so angry but he was. He could feel his fury literally flooding through him, so badly he wanted to lash out, to scream, to hit something, his fists were clenched before he realized it and shaking with barely contained rage, he felt sure if he moved it would erupt out of him.

"Goodmorning sweetie!"

"Ah Scorpius, did you sleep well my boy?"

"Isn't it a beautiful day?" his father asked as the trio put on the sickeningly fake smiles they wore everyday before Draco seemed to give up and he sighed heavily, his smile gone, "how much of that did you hear?"

"I want to go to Hogwarts," Scorpius said putting every effort into keeping his voice steady and calm as he became determined to go, he may not truly want to leave but he wanted to stay even less, "in case anyone cares. I'll be in my room waiting on your decision because clearly I'm sick of listening to you."

Once he would have been chastised for speaking to his elders with such disrespect but as he turned on his heel and walked away, his mother calling his name was all he heard. No one came after him.

He made it back to his room and sat on the edge of the bed once more, he just stared at the floor, not really seeing, not really thinking. He felt the anger draining away until he was empty again, a part of him wanted to cry but no tears came. Too empty to cry because there's nothing left inside, _ruined for life _his grandfather had said, did that mean he'd be like that forever? Except for fleeting moments of anger and fear when he woke up?

"Is everything all packed Master Scorpius?" a voice questioned and he blinked, noticing one of the house-elves had materialized in front of him, his favourite Yip who was motioning to the trunk.

"Yes, yes it is. Does that mean I'm still going?"

"Were you ever not going Master Scorpius?" Yip wondered as an expression of puzzlement crossed his odd lopsided face before he smiled, "if you do not wish to leave Master Scorpius I could always take your place for you."

At this the house-elf grabbed the wand from his bedside desk and jumped onto the trunk. Yip grinned madly, hopping around as he brandished the wand – backwards – saying "yah!" and motioning as if casting a spell.

"I think I would make a good wizard don't you Master Scorpius?" Yip said excitedly continuing his odd display of what Scorpius assumed was his impression of someone using a spell, "I could smite our foes and make potions for purposes that… are important! Charms and transfigurations, ooh I could be an animagi, I would love to turn into a bird and I could fly, ooh as a wizard I could fly on broomsticks and win many a great Quidditch match for Slytherin! I could be a seeker and catch the snitch and win the game, everyone would carry me on their shoulders yelling 'Yip, Yip hooray!'"

Scorpius did manage a faint smile at the house-elf's odd whimsy, he had known Yip his whole life and when he was younger he'd been his frequent source of play and amusement, he considered the house-elf his one and only friend. His family usually weren't too keen on more out-spoken house-elves, his grandfather especially but he hadn't socialized much with other magical children, partly because his family were looked down on and partly because his family looked down on others so Yip had been all he had. Upon his return Yip and Yip alone still treated him like himself but also recognized he wasn't quite the same, neither pushing too hard or ignoring it completely. Yip was the only person he'd really felt comfortable around since, he would miss his friend greatly assuming he did go.

"You'd make a great wizard Yip," Scorpius admitted to which the house-elf's lopsided smile managed to get even wider.

"Yes I would," Yip said firmly as he got off of the trunk and pushed the wand into his master's hand, "but you'll be the greatest."

"I don't think so, I don't even want to be great really then you'd be in the spotlight with people knowing everything about you and criticizing everything you do. I'd settle for just being a normal wizard like my family want, I want them to be proud of me again, I want to be happy again."

"Your family are proud of you, they love you."

"They think I'm stupid and weak Yip, you should have heard them talking to me downstairs."

"Well I'm proud of you."

"For what?" Scorpius snorted doubtfully.

"You have a good heart Master Scorpius," Yip answered looking slightly surprised as his expression became serious, "a good soul is worth more than gold and that's something to be proud of."

"Yip Yip hooray," Scorpius whispered in an attempt at humour that seemed to work as Yip beamed before he hugged his friend tightly, "thank you. I don't know how I would've gotten through this past few months without you."

"Oh for Merlin's sake," his grandfather snapped from the doorway and Scorpius instantly let go, "have you not got that stupid trunk downstairs already?! Begone before Draco changes his mind! You are the most worthless disobedient piece of-"

"Hey!" Scorpius snapped back and his grandfather looked at him oddly, "treat Yip with some respect, he's my friend."

"Okay child, we have to have a discussion about what classifies as friends," his grandfather began in his best lecture voice as Yip vanished with the trunk, "that was a house-elf, a slave, it's not our friend. I don't want to hear you've befriended anymore of those beings at Hogwarts, after all they are beneath you Scorpius."

"Yip is my friend and my equal, I don't care what he is and what you say. However I will remember to stay away from mud-bloods and half-bloods if I can help it, once I get sorted into Slytherin I should be okay and stick with them as they will be pure-bloods for the most part, the right sort of people I should be around. I know grandfather, you don't need to tell me again. Oh and avoid that oaf Hagrid, that disgrace Longbottom, any red-haired Weasley spawn and of course the Potters, never ever go anywhere near the Potters."

"Very good but no one likes a smart-mouth boy," his grandfather quipped scowling at him.

"I think I get that from you."

"Seriously Scorpius, don't test me."

"What are you going to do?" Scorpius questioned standing and became very aware he was still holding his wand, he tightened his grip and could feel the power within it and from the way his grandfather's eyes darted to it he had a feeling he noticed it too, "I'm not afraid of you."

"Well maybe you should be… More respectful. Now run along to breakfast, wouldn't want you to starve on your way to school."

Scorpius said nothing as he fiercely met the older man's eyes and slowly moved towards the door, slipping past him and back downstairs where the others were all seated cheerfully as if the events of earlier had never happened. That was the Malfoy way, sweep everything under the rug and never speak of it again, it seemed a stupid system to Scorpius but that was the way it worked. A few minutes later his grandfather rejoined them and enthusiastically launched into an account of his first day at Hogwarts, Scorpius just ate his food in silence and wished he could speed up time.


	2. I: Incidental Meetings

Scorpius was relieved his grandparents weren't also coming with him to see him off on the train to Hogwarts, his grandmother was alright but he disliked his grandfather. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't seem to connect the coldhearted man, he wasn't exactly cruel to him but Scorpius saw how he was with the house-elves and he'd never forgiven a vicious beating he'd given Yip simply because his toddler grandson had declared him his friend.

He wasn't exactly having a good time at the platform though, there was so many people his eyes didn't stop moving scanning them for any sign of threat. He wasn't quite sure why, no matter how much he thought logically it was stupid his eyes still searched the crowd. He also found quite a lot of people looking at him and his father, their faces didn't hide their disdain. His father didn't look back.

All too soon his mother was wrapping her arms around him for the final time as the final whistle for the train to be boarded pierced the air, she looked almost ready to cry again. His father never had been one much on physical affection in public, he didn't expect a hug and he didn't get one instead he got a strange sorrowful look.

"Are you really sure about this?" his father asked and Scorpius nodded firmly, "knock them dead then son."

At this his father smiled weakly but it didn't touch the tears pricking his eyes. Scorpius forced himself to return the smile but it barely lasted a second, he'd only seen his father cry twice before, once when his baby sister had died a few hours after she was born and once three months ago.

"Are you alright father?"

"Of course Scorpius," his father whispered hastily wiping his eyes and looking around as if to make sure no one else had seen, "now hurry along my… my boy, don't wouldn't want you to miss your train trip school."

Scorpius nodded and started over towards to the train, he paused and glanced back once more at his parents. They seemed to be standing apart from everyone else making them look even more alone, he noticed them his mother slip her hand into his father's as he put his arm around her, for comfort. Guiltily he tried to feel something more for the parents he was leaving, he did love them but numbness was all he felt when he tried to be sad they were parting. Sighing he slipped onto the train, it was moving before he could find himself a compartment. Commotion immediately caught his attention.

Four teenage boys seemed to be surrounding a fifth person he couldn't see because they towered over whoever was in between them, a younger one was bending over to pick someone up and he saw another was already wearing Slytherin colors. His soon to be housemates.

"Think you're so smart now you're a third year?" the Slytherin boy sneered in a way that reminded him of how his grandfather spoke to people, the derogatory way Scorpius despised.

"I was always smart, unlike you," a girl's voice said defensively, "if you think its smart to be picking on people before we've even arrived at the school then you really should get your brain looked at."

"Shut your hole bitch or I'll shut it for you."

"Hey!" Scorpius snapped stepping forwards, he didn't care they'd be his housemates his mother had taught him better than this, "you don't talk to women like that, you don't talk to anyone like that. Leave her alone."

The boys all turned to look at him with surprised expressions, it was as they did the one directly in front of him stepped aside and he saw the girl he was trying to defend. She was wearing a white dress, a red shawl was draped over her shoulders, some may call it old-fashioned but it suited the girl, her furry brown boots were definitely not old-fashioned. In one hand she held her wand protectively while the other was laden with books, textbooks slightly more advanced than the ones he'd gotten recently. Her curled crimson hair was fiery and flowing, her face was pale and flawless, untouched by freckles. She was beautiful.

"Aren't you Draco Malfoy's kid?" the Slytherin boy asked and Scorpius nodded without moving his eyes from her, her eyes found his and blazed with a hatred he didn't understand until the boy spoke again, "oh well this is just a Weasley, bitch hexed my brother when we tried to see what books she was holding. We're going to teach her a lesson in manners, want to help?"

Scorpius swallowed still unable to stop staring at her. She was a Weasley, they were bad, they were blood-traitors, enemies yet he was feeling strange things he hadn't felt before. Logically he knew he should have said yes as the question left the Slytherin's lips but his heart didn't say that, it was wrong to treat people that way regardless of who they were, she was just a girl who in all likelihood had just been defending herself from them.

"Leave her alone," Scorpius repeated and all pairs of eyes on him widened in shock.

"Did you not hear me?"

"I don't care who she is, its not right and I won't let you lay a single spell on her."

"Hey we're trying to be your friend," the Slytherin's brother complained in a whiney voice, "you're supposed to be on our side."

"So be it," the Slytherin said with a shrug seeming to be their leader, "we're not afraid of a talentless first year."

"Well maybe you should be," Scorpius stated darkly.

He draw his wand even as it dawned on him how foolish the whole endeavour was, he'd been told he had better control over his magic than most kids his age but he'd never used it to fight someone and he certainly hadn't used his wand. The Slytherin merely laughed and stepped forwards with his own wand, the others moved out of his way and one of the older ones grabbed the girl's arm and dragged her to the side with him.

"Focus," a voice whispered nearby and he flicked his gaze to his right, a man was lazily leaning in the doorway of the compartment beside him, "wands only channel the power that is already inside you, summon that power, let it flow through you and the wand and then just unleash it."

Scorpius closed his eyes and tried to block himself out from the world, he had had plenty of time to practice and had discovered if he concentrated he could make things move. He just needed to move the wand in the Slytherin's hand while he was trying to use a spell on him, the thought seemed ludicrous but he ignored it and focused allowing the power to flow through him and tried to make it go through the wand. No, you couldn't force it. Let it flow the stranger had said. He heard the Slytherin snickering.

"Too scared to even look me in the eyes? Well this will be even easier," the Slytherin mocked just as Scorpius felt the surge of power surge into his wand, his eyes shot open to see the Slytherin flourishing the wand in mid-spell.

Scorpius had no words to say but he willed the wand to be thrown backwards from the elder boy's hands and unleashed the power, he felt it surge out the wand and to his surprise he saw not only the wand but the Slytherin himself was thrown backwards and cried out in pain as he collided painfully with the floor. Scorpius wasn't the only one to gasp in shock as the other children's jaws dropped, the man however started applauding and laughed, a strangely shrill laugh but a laugh.

"Very good!" the man announced stepping into the corridor with a twirl as he stopped clapping, "I didn't think you would do it, could do it even, was about to intervene but that is so much more fun and awesome!"

"What is going on out there Calderon?" another voice questioned grumpily and the man – presumable named Calderon – gestured, the door to his compartment closing sharply.

"Okay will deal with him momentarily, firstly kiddies," Calderon announced but was still grinning as he moved over to the other children and helped the Slytherin boy to his feet, "you alive Kyle?"

"I think so," the Slytherin boy – Kyle – answered slowly before angrily pulling his arm away, "that boy attacked me Calderon!"

"Hmm…" Calderon mused before shaking his head, "I'm pretty sure it was self defence Kyle, you were trying to duel a first year who hasn't even arrived at Hogwarts yet as well as 'teach a lesson' to poor Molly over there. I'd appreciate it if you left the teaching to the actual teachers in the future."

"But Calderon-"

"But nothing, you started it and just because it didn't end the way you wanted doesn't mean you get to be the innocent victim in all of this. None of you are the innocent victim in all of this and all of you are a bit too wand-happy if you ask me, so I am deducting 10 points from each of your houses and you better be bloody grateful its not more."

"I don't have a house yet," Kyle's brother piped up, "I can't lose any points."

"Well when you are sorted be sure to tell your new housemates you lost them 20 points."

"20? It was 10 a minute ago!" Kyle complained glaring at the tall man who Scorpius was beginning to think was a teacher, despite the fact he wore muggle jeans and a black muggle sweater.

"10 for picking on people, 10 for thinking he could get away with it."

"Are you even allowed to take away points?"

"Okay that's 30 for you then," Calderon said crossing his arms moodily.

"30?!"

"40."

"Calderon, don't you think you're being slightly unfair?" Kyle pleaded starting to look worried rather than angry.

"50."

"Stop making it higher!"

"Then shut up, get into a compartment and stay there until I tell you otherwise."

The four boys practically tripped over each other in their desperation to get into an empty compartment and away Calderon, who once again laughed as they darted away. Scorpius scowled vaguely wondering how the odd teacher could laugh several octaves higher than he spoke.

"Thank you," Molly said suddenly.

She was so intently staring at the ground, Scorpius wasn't sure whether this gratitude was directed at him or Calderon before to his disappointment she too slipped away. Disappointment? He shook his head, she was a Weasley he was glad she was gone. And that she was okay, even Weasley's didn't deserve to be ganged up on like that. His gaze shifted back to Calderon who was watching him, Scorpius wondered if he was supposed to be heading to a compartment too. He started to move only for Calderon to hold out an arm to block his path.

"Wait, not done with you."

"Deduct as many points as you want," Scorpius offered not really caring how much he lost for Slytherin, it seemed stupid anyway and he didn't regret what he'd done, it had been the right thing to do and Calderon was a hypocrite anyway considering he'd told him what to do.

"Actually I'm giving you some," Calderon said as his grin returned, "50 points for whatever house you're in, what you did was impressive, you impressed me, you're impressing."

"It wasn't really, you don't need to give me points."

"Oh the modesty, bad Scorpius, have some pride. Not many first years would try to defend a random stranger from a group of elder children, especially considering… shall we say your families' history? It would have been easier to accept their offer or just stay out of it but you didn't."

"I did the right thing, you should always do the right thing," Scorpius said quietly and uncomfortably with a shrug, he really didn't want anyone to make a big deal out of it.

"Yes, yes you should. Although what 'the right thing to do' is debatable, depends on your own personal morals. And then the fact you actually beat Kyle, he's a fourth year and you don't have a house yet."

"I couldn't have done it if you hadn't helped me."

"Pfft," Calderon snorted rolling his eyes, "I could have said that to all the first years, they could've tried to do it but most would still have failed miserably. In fact I could've said that to most students and they would have got their butts kicked, in fact I shouldn't have said that to you. Its easier, better and incredibly more logically to walk before you run but I was never good at that, why walk when you can run?"

"Has anyone told you that you talk really fast?" Scorpius pointed out as Calderon seemed to veer off into a tangent and stare off to the left thoughtfully.

In response the teacher only laughed shrilly again before the train lurched and they both had to reach out to the sides to steady themselves, Scorpius hadn't been on a train before but he hoped that was normal. He looked to Calderon who didn't seem fazed putting to rest his thoughts of the train somehow crashing, although if it did at least he wouldn't have to awkwardly start searching for empty compartments.

"We should probably get inside," Calderon muttered gesturing with his hand and the door to the compartment he'd came from flew open, "care to join us Scorpius?"

Scorpius paused for a moment before nodding, it was safer to stick with the teacher than to risk getting into another incident searching for a compartment to himself. Calderon grinned again and motioned for him to go first which Scorpius quickly did, blinking in surprise to see someone already in there before recalling having heard him speak earlier. He inclined his head politely and took a seat opposite the man, keeping as close as he could to the window, a second later Calderon followed him in and slammed the door magically behind him.


	3. I: The Staff Compartment

Scorpius studied the stranger in the compartment, unlike Calderon he was dressed in rather fine wizard robes, his combed hair was dark and he had a neatly trimmed beard. The wizard watched him with a frown and a raised eyebrow at Calderon who continued to stand leaning lazily back against the closed door, grinning still as he glanced between them.

"Scorpius this is Atticus. Atticus this is Scorpius," Calderon introduced them casually and the wizard gave him an indignant look, "oh I'm sorry I mean Scorpius this is _Professor_ Atticus Ashain, your new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Atticus, this is Scorpius Malfoy, one of your new students, one of the best and brightest I might add. Better?"

"Slightly," Professor Ashain – as Scorpius decided it was more appropriate to think of him – commented, glancing briefly at Scorpius before attempting to whisper to Calderon, "is he being punished or something?"

"No."

"Oh good," the professor sighed with relief, "got worried I'd have to do something there."

"Heavens no!" Calderon gasped sarcastically and the professor scowled again, "the effort of doing something, eugh it's too much."

"Keep mocking me like that and I might make your firing a condition of my working at Hogwarts."

"Nah, they wouldn't fire me then old Pippy and the teacher's would have to do stuff. Eugh doing stuff, its all too much for their fragile little minds."

"Aren't you a teacher?" Scorpius asked puzzled and the professor laughed shaking his head.

"If they let a lunatic like him teach then believe me I wouldn't be here," Professor Ashain answered before Calderon could open his mouth, "he's the Headmaster's assistant or some kind of general lackey I believe."

"Gee Atty… Atty? Attic… Cus, Cussy? Tic? Ticcy, I like Ticcy," Calderon started to answer before seeming to veer off into another tangent, "gee Ticcy, you make it sound so derogatory."

"And Ticcy isn't?!" the professor burst out glaring at the assistant who only smiled.

"It suits you, Ticcy."

"Ugh! What was that commotion outside anyway? Did you do something Mr Malfoy?"

"You should have seen it, he was awesome! Used a non-verbal uncontrolled burst of magic to throw back this bully. Boom!"

At this Calderon abruptly raised his hand and a pulse of magic shot out, Scorpius and Professor Ashain both jumped in shock. The pulse shot against the window and it ejected it from the train, his jaw dropped as he stared out at the missing window that twirled in the air before speeding back to them and back into place.

"Stop doing things!"

"I'm sorry Ticcy, did I scare you?"

"Yes! I mean no!" the professor snapped while blushing furiously, "you scared Mr Malfoy here I meant. Demonstration is unnecessary, use your words, I believed you. You have unusual talent at such an age Mr Malfoy, it is very impressive but if you want to get anywhere in life you should obey the rules and not get into fights. Bullies will get the appropriate punishments from teachers, you need only to report them. That's how it was when I was in Hogwarts and it's a good system, keeps the bad kids out of trouble and the good kids can excel, like I did. I don't know about you Calderon?"

"I didn't go to Hogwarts," Calderon said flatly seeming to lose all his mirth in an instant.

This went unnoticed by Professor Ashain who seemed to compose himself and launched excitedly into a rather detailed account of his own time at Hogwarts. Calderon finally sat down beside Scorpius, lazily slouching in the corner in a very improper way but looked wistful as he listened silently.

In the better light of the compartment Scorpius got a better look at Calderon, his hair and eyes were both dark in contrast to his pale skin. He had a face he thought girls would consider handsome but was surprisingly older than Scorpius has initially thought, he looked around his mother's age. As he turned his attention back to the professor's story he wondered if there was something to his claim of Calderon being a lunatic, he certainly didn't act like any wizards he knew.

For awhile they both just listened in silence to the professor, some people may have thought it boring as Professor Ashain had seemed to be about as straight an arrow as they came, never straying from rules or do much else beyond his studies aside from his stint as a Seeker in Quidditch. Scorpius actually didn't mind, he'd rather listen to someone else talk then talk about himself and he rather liked the professor's account. That was what he wanted to be able to tell people, that he stayed out of trouble and did well, no risk, no glory, just fade into the shadows and not have to deal with anything.

Scorpius found himself relaxing as he listened attentively, the journey much more peaceful than he'd thought it would be from his earlier experience. Although he was glad the thing with Kyle and Molly Weasley had got him into the staff-compartment he would try not to get into such matters in the future, it couldn't be that hard to obey the rules.

"And that pretty much concludes my Hogwarts experience," Professor Ashain finished much to Scorpius' disappointment, "as a student anyway, as of this year I'll be a teacher."

"Very informative, I look forward to your class," Scorpius told him honestly, not sure what else to say and the man beamed.

"Why thank you Mr Malfoy. And… you too Calderon, I'm glad you convinced me to be the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher."

"You're welcome," Calderon commented and Scorpius couldn't tell whether it was sincere or not, "so… still plenty of time, anyone want to play Wizard Chess?"

"No thanks, think I'm going to get some sleep before we get there," the professor stated stretching his arms before retrieving a travel pillow and blanket from his case, he stretched out on the seat and got comfortable with them, "wake me when we get there."

"Sure thing Ticcy."

"Ticcy…" he sighed but said nothing as he closed his eyes and seemingly fell asleep.

"So you up for some Wizard Chess, Scorpius?"

"Okay," Scorpius agreed hesitantly turning to face the assistant who had already set up the board while he'd been watching the professor, "I know how to play, you can go first."

"So… Scorpius. Scorp, Scorps. Scorpy, Scor. Scorey? No I like Scor. So Scor, looking forward to Hogwarts after that lecture?" Calderon said without looking up from up the board as he made his first move. Scorpius sighed.

"Can't we just focus on the game in silence?"

"Why don't we make it interesting then? Silence for the games but whoever wins gets to ask the other one question and the loser has to answer completely honestly."

"What do I get out of it?"

"There's really nothing you want to ask me?" Calderon countered raising an eyebrow as Scorpius made his own first move.

He paused, there was a few things he was curious about and he was a fairly decent player he thought. He nodded in agreement to Calderon's challenge, the assistant's grin returning as he fell silent once more and they played. Scorpius found Calderon to not be much of an opponent and easily beat him.

"Why didn't you go to Hogwarts?"

"Well…" Calderon answered carefully and Scorpius waited expectantly, he had thought the assistant would simply say he went to a different school but the hesitation surprised him as much as the answer, "I wasn't allowed. My parents wanted me to have better control over my magic before they even considered sending me to a school, I consistently failed them and so they considered me weak, stupid and too unstable to be sent to Hogwarts or any other school so I never got to go."

"Did you want to go?"

"You have to win again if you want to ask another question."

Scorpius conceded this was fair as he watched Calderon reset the board before they began to play again. He found himself sympathizing with the assistant, his parents felt a similar way about him. If he hadn't overheard their conversation and stated he wanted to go to Hogwarts would they have denied him it forever too? He wasn't sure if his sense of sympathy distracted him or Calderon got better but the second game was more of a challenge for Scorpius, he did still win however and thought carefully on his question before asking.

"How did you get to work at Hogwarts? You know considering you never went to any Wizard school."

"Basically I went there when I was nineteen, thought maybe they would let me study there since I'd missed out. Minerva rejected that idea as I was too old but instead offered me to be her assistant, even though now she's stepped down from Headmistress – well she tried retiring but got bored and came back as transfiguration teacher again – I continue to assist," Calderon told him resetting the board again, "I got lucky, without her offer I have no idea where I'd be right now."

Scorpius fell silent and focused on the next game, he didn't have time to digest Calderon's latest answer as the assistant had indeed gotten better. In fact Scorpius was quite sure he'd deliberately lost the first two games to lull him into a false sense of security, his defeat seemed effortless for Calderon to orchastrate. Scorpius wasn't sure whether to be impressed or humiliated as he waited nervously for the question.

"Which house do you want to be in and why?" Calderon asked surprising Scorpius but it wasn't the worst thing he could have asked.

"Slytherin of course, every Malfoy is in Slytherin. Although I think Ravenclaw would be acceptable, from Professor Ashain's account it sounds like a good house and my mother was in Ravenclaw too. Just hope there's not too many mudbloods there though."

"No," Calderon said shaking his head and seeming angry much to Scorpius confusion, "you can't let yourself be defined by your family and their beliefs Scorpius, you're more than the blood you carry."

"I thought you liked Scor."

"I like Scorpius when I'm serious! You can't go around thinking like that and you certainly can't go around calling people mudbloods, all that nonsense about blood purity. It doesn't matter in the slightest."

"Doesn't it? Voldemort was evil and he was a half-blood," Scorpius stated defensively, "his method was flawed certainly, going around killing people is very bad and I'm glad he's dead but that doesn't mean he was wrong about the blood purity and muggles."

"What's your defence of the pureblooded who did evil things in his name then?"

"They were doing the wrong things for the right reasons, a bad thing done for the right reasons is still a bad thing but the reasons are still right."

"You defended Molly Weasley."

"It was the right thing to do, those boys were picking on her! That was wrong, regardless of who she is, they could've been doing it with good intentions but it was still wrong and they should be stopped."

"You're better than blood-purity Scorpius and you're smart enough to make up your own mind."

"I am making up my own mind!" Scorpius snapped louder than he'd meant to, "I don't blindly agree with everything I'm told, I hate how my grandfather treats house-elves because he's wrong about them being worthless and inferior but I've actually met muggles and they're bad! They're evil! It makes sense people with muggle blood can be bad too, we're only better than them because they're so evil!"

"You seem conflicted."

"I am conflicted."

"Look," Calderon said in a gentler tone as Scorpius hung his head, "I know what happened to you and I know it's not easy, believe me I know. But one thing you have to realize is just because some muggles are bad doesn't mean all muggles are bad, just like some wizards being bad doesn't mean all wizards are bad. Everyone is different and the… so-called purity of our blood has nothing to do with it, we are who we choose to be not who we're born to be. Think about that."

Scorpius wasn't sure what he should say to that, what he should say to that. He didn't dare look up, terrified that Calderon knew about him. He nodded mutely, it was the right thing to do and he would think about it when he was done digesting it anyway. Surprisingly he heard the compartment door slide open and his head shot up, he saw a breathless old man dressed like the train driver standing there with a look of horror on his face.

"W-We have a serious problem," the man stuttered shakily trying to catch his breath, "the train's going to crash."


	4. I: Light Tracks

"Ticcy get up, we have a serious problem," Calderon said grabbing the sleeping man's arm and hauling the professor up, "walk and talk. Scor, stay here."

The train driver nodded and hurriedly exited the compartment, Calderon half dragging the still half-asleep Professor Ashain with him. Scorpius sat there for a moment, he had been told to stay but his body protested and quickly jumped up, slipping into the adult's wake.

"The viaduct up ahead is gone, like totally destroyed," the driver hastily explained as he led them through the train.

"And this thing doesn't have brakes?" Professor Ashain grumbled freeing himself from Calderon's grip and walking by himself.

"They're not working! I've tried everything I can think of, something magical is preventing me from using them and I dunno how to get past it."

"Well I can see how that would suck… hmm… I don't think we've actually met, I'm Marius Calderon, you would be?"

"Calderon!" the professor shrieked, "names aren't important right now!"

"What? If I'm going to die I'd like to know the names of the people I'm dying with."

"Peter Snyder."

Professor Ashain threw up his hands in exasperation as they made it to the head end of the train, it was smaller than Scorpius had expected, dark and cramped. He knew next to nothing about trains but he assumed the section immediately in front of them with various knobs and lever-looking things controlled it. The professor went over to it and the driver – Peter Snyder – went into an explanation about the brake not working, demonstrating one of the lever's refusal to budge both manually and magically. Calderon however immediately went for the window and stuck his head out, it was only as he turned back he noticed Scorpius.

"Didn't I tell you to stay?"

"I can't just sit there by myself waiting to die, I want to help or at least not do nothing," Scorpius answered feeling pleased he didn't sound as nervous as he felt but he then didn't regret following them, he'd had enough of sitting and waiting in the past year to last him a lifetime. Calderon rolled his eyes but he and the other two men seemed content with this, then again there were more pressing concerns than him.

"What do you think Ticcy?"

"Someone definitely tampered with it, some powerful magic."

"Can you fix it?"

"Maybe with some time," Professor Ashain answered tearing his eyes from the controls and swallowing nervously with a defeated look on his face, "but not before the viaduct."

"Fine," Calderon snorted and waved his hand, a hatch in the ceiling flew open and a ladder tumbled down, "I have an idea, I think I can give you some time but you damn well better use it Ticcy because I can't do everything all at once by myself. Follow me Scor but stay on the ladder."

At this Calderon began climbing the ladder, the other two men just looked as puzzled as Scorpius felt. He reluctantly followed, feeling his head battered and his neatly combed hair blowing in disarray as he poked his head out of the train. Calderon had climbed on top of the train and was unsteadily trying to stand against the ferocious freezing wind, Scorpius didn't envy him and feared for a moment Calderon would fall before something else caught his attention.

He gasped as his eyes were drawn to what was ahead of the train, the viaduct was indeed gone and instead there was just a gaping void they were hurtling towards. They really were going to die. He expected to feel scared, panicked, upset like he had before but all he could muster was regret. At least he had gotten to say goodbye this time, it was just more final than he'd thought.

Scorpius took the opportunity to drink in the scenery, the peaceful countryside basking in the glow of the setting sun. The last thing he'd ever see. At least it was beautiful. He sighed feeling a sliver of sadness, doubting any of the other students realized their lives were about to end, he hoped it would be quick so they at least wouldn't have to suffer. He closed his eyes and took a last long breath as they reached the edge of the cliff.

Instead of a plunge however the whole train jerked, Scorpius yelped in surprise gripping the ladder ever tighter to stop himself from slipping. Confused he looked back to Calderon, the assistant was holding out his hands and light was flooding from them and into the empty air ahead of them. The light was forming into tracks, Scorpius realized, that was why they weren't falling to their deaths. It was incredible.

He realized his mouth was just hanging open in amazement as Calderon's shrill laugh cut through the angered howl of the wind, his laugh had never sounded more demented but Scorpius had never been more impressed by anything in his entire life. He watched the tracks of light Calderon was creating with a smile on his face, he'd been around magic since birth but had never seen anything like it.

The gap seemed incredibly long but after a few minutes the head end came back onto the real track with another jerk. Calderon faltered, struggling to keep himself on his feet at the lurching movement but succeeded and the magic didn't waver at all. Scorpius looked back as the further back carriages too came back onto the solid track, when the final luggage carriage's wheels touched the ground he let out a relieved breath and the light track vanished. Calderon threw him a grin back over his shoulder and Scorpius' smile only widened.

His smile quickly became a scowl when he realized what was beyond Calderon. The track was damaged, a giant chunk seemed to have been blasted out of the side. Calderon seemed to follow his gaze and instantly held up his hand again, more light shot out to take the place of the missing side.

"I'm going to stay up here," Calderon called back, he seemed to be yelling but it was barely audible over the wind, "keep this up for any other damaged sections. Tell Ticcy that!"

Scorpius clambered down enough until he was back in the warmth and safety of the train, he'd forgotten the cold in his amazement but poor Calderon must be freezing he realized guilty. He shook his head of this, trying not to think about it as he passed on the message. Train Driver Snyder was just standing there stunned while the professor had turned his attention to trying to fix the train before he'd finished speaking.

"Bloody madman saved us all."

"It's not good," Professor Ashain said worriedly not hearing or caring of the driver's comment, "I was kind of hoping this was a prank and the viaduct was an accident, maybe a dragon destroyed it or an angry giant. But this is advanced magic, beyond any student and the odds of the tracks being damaged accidentally decreases the more damage there is."

"Can you fix it, Professor?" Scorpius asked suddenly worried, he hadn't given much thought to what had caused it but now he thought of it… wasn't anything Hogwarts supposed to be protected?

"I think so, just give me some time. Tell Calderon I'm doing my best."

Scorpius climbed back up to relay the message, finding there was indeed more damage to the tracks ahead. He worried about this for the rest of the journey as he worked as a messenger between the two, Professor Ashain giving him updates on his progress with undoing the magic done to the brakes and Calderon focused on keeping the train on the light tracks as they passed over the damaged sections.

"This is a lot harder than it looks," Calderon said after he'd given him the professor's latest progress, "trains are heavy, I'm not sure how long I can keep doing this. Tell Ticcy to hurry up."

He looked back for the first time since the sun had set and Scorpius saw the strain on his face, his worries shifting to Calderon. He nodded and clambered back down, passing on the message but the professor didn't seem concerned.

"Well I'm not surprised, that is some powerful magic he's using. I couldn't do that if I tried, not many could," Professor Ashain told him without looking up from what he was doing and a sudden burst of light came from his wand, the light enveloped the controls before fading, "I think I've got it! We need to stop the train to test it, tell Calderon to climb down or he'll be thrown off."

Scorpius climbed up excitedly but before he could get the words out of his mouth he noticed lights up ahead, it had to be the station, they were really going to be okay. He called the message to Calderon who just shook his head.

"Tell Ticcy to do it, I need to stay up here in case it doesn't work."

"But if it does work then you'll be thrown off, I think it'll work!"

"Hope for the best but prepare for the worst! It's my job, Scor. This is the last stop, if it doesn't work how much further do you think before we reach the end of the line? I'm going to stop this train if it destroys me!" Calderon called back firmly and Scorpius felt a knot clench in his stomach wondering what he'd meant by that, "tell Ticcy to stop the train if he can, he has to make sure all the students get to Hogwarts safely, that's the most important thing."

"What about you?"

"I'll be fine, when everyone's safe they'll send people to look for me."

"What if…" Scorpius began and his nerves protested him finishing the sentence but he forced himself to say it, "what if you die?"

"If I die tell Minerva I love her! Oh and I want to be cremated not buried!" Calderon yelled and Scorpius had no idea if he was being serious or not, "now tell him, Scor."

Scorpius hesitated for a moment before climbing back down and delivering the message, he had expected or rather hoped Professor Ashain would insist on Calderon climbing down but instead he just nodded.

"You're okay with it? He could die!"

"Mr Malfoy's, he's right, we're running out of time and I have no control over him. If he's okay with it, so am I."

Without flinching he pulled down one of the levers. There was no doubt it hadn't worked as the train screeched to a halt, Scorpius had to cling to the ladder to stop himself from falling off at the force of it. Professor Ashain looked relieved but Scorpius climbed up for a final time, peeking his head out for any sign of Calderon but not surprisingly he was gone.

Scorpius climbed back down and got off the ladder, stretching for a moment, climbing up a ladder wasn't the most comfortable do to. The professor was talking about getting the train going again and making sure everyone got to the station safely. _Everyone except Calderon, _Scorpius thought bitterly and guiltily, almost wishing he hadn't passed on the message. His eyes found the door before his mind could catch up, he did want to stay out of trouble but… he didn't want to just leave Calderon out there even more. He strode over to the door and opened it, the adult's protests fell on deaf ears as he jumped out into the cold night.

"Calderon!" he yelled into the silence, scanning the darkness as he started walking, "Calderon! Calderon!"

"What in Merlin's name are you doing?!" Professor Ashain demanded rushing over to him, "Mr Malfoy, get back on the train!"

"Not without Calderon."

"It's pitch black!"

"I have good eyesight," Scorpius shrugged shivering but the cold just made him more determined, fighting back memories he just yelled louder, "Calderon!"

"He would want you to get back on the train! He's the one who said not to look for him until everyone else is safe."

"Then go and get everyone safe, I'll keep looking."

"Mr Malfoy, if you don't get back on the train I will-"

"I don't care!" Scorpius snapped glaring at the professor, "take away a million points from the house I don't have, give me a detention for the rest of my life, suspend me, expel me, I don't care. I'm not leaving him here hurt and alone in the freezing cold, you'll have to curse me and drag me back to the train kicking and screaming before I abandon him! And neither should you! He saved all our lives, including yours and you won't spare five minutes to see if he still has his?"

"If I help you look for five minutes will you get back on the train?" the professor offered as a compromise and Scorpius reluctantly nodded while the wizard muttered a spell. Light appeared at the end of his wand, it wasn't a lot of light but it did illuminate the nearby area and was better than total blackness, "we could be out here for hours otherwise and believe it or not a proper search party has a better chance of find and helping him than one wizard and a boy."

"Can you make my wand do that?" Scorpius asked offered his own wand and the professor sighed but took it, muttering the spell again and handing it back to him, "thank you."

"I want Calderon to be okay too, I just would rather everyone else is too and he's right about students being the priority. Although I am surprised you're so keen to find him, I thought you didn't like him, I heard you arguing before I was dragged awake."

"Arguing?" Scorpius prompted worriedly.

"Some raised voices or maybe it was someone else arguing nearby, I didn't notice what they were saying or who was speaking, I don't know I just assumed it was you too arguing because you were closest."

"We were just having a discussion about which house I would be in, I said Slytherin because that's the house Malfoy's go in and he said I shouldn't let myself be defined by my family," Scorpius told him, it was true enough, "doesn't mean I hate him and want him to die, he had a point. Even if he didn't, we're doing the right thing, its wrong to leave him out here."

"Fair enough."

Scorpius nodded vaguely and concentrated on searching, the countryside didn't look so beautiful anymore. It looked dark and cruel, even with the light from their wands it seemed scary. They were practically in the middle of nowhere; _it was the perfect place to dump a body_. The thought sent fear shooting through his spine, he froze. Maybe it had been a stupid idea to go looking for Calderon in the dark out here, it was much safer to just stay on the train and let a search party come looking for him later, Professor Ashain was right.

He took a deep breath trying to stop his legs from shaking, the professor had continued on walking calling for the assistant obliviously. Scorpius was about to call out to leave it and head back to the train but something stopped him, he really didn't want to leave Calderon out there. Calderon could bleed to death waiting for rescue or freeze, or whoever had damaged the tracks and sabotaged the train could come back.

He thought of Calderon, the assistant been perfectly willing to risk his life to save everyone else's and he hadn't even hesitated. His parents had thought him weak, stupid and unstable but Scorpius thought he had to be the strongest person he'd ever met. He wouldn't leave anyone out here, no matter how afraid he was. Pushing through his fear Scorpius started walking again.

"Calderon!" Scorpius screamed again with renewed determination, this time he thought he saw a brief glimpse of a pale hand, surprising far from the train.

He ran towards it, slowing only when he nearly lost his balance clambering on the slippery rocks but as he got closer he could clearly make out Calderon's form lying amongst them. He fell to his knees beside the assistant, worriedly wondering for a second if he was alive but noticed to his relief that Calderon was breathing.

He was hurt though. Calderon's clothes were torn in places, he had a gash beside his left eye and his other cheek was badly grazed. His right arm was clutched protectively to his chest, the wrist looked swollen and misshapen and Scorpius guessed it was broken, he also noticed the assistant's left foot was at the wrong angle but wasn't sure if that was just the way he was lying or not.

"Professor Ashain!"


	5. I: Newcomer

Scorpius watched as the hazy blur of light that had to the professor started coming towards them, he could do nothing more than wait. He hated waiting. And he hated that he couldn't do anything for Calderon, he didn't know anything about first-aid, magical or otherwise but he painfully wished he did. The seconds seemed to drag by before the professor was finally beside them, an anxious expression on his face.

"Calderon, are you alright?" he questioned immediately shaking Calderon's shoulder gently, the assistant winced and flicked open his dark eyes.

"Yes Ticcy, I'm lying here for fun," Calderon answered scowling, "didn't I tell you to get the kids to safety first?!"

"Mr Malfoy was most insistent on not leaving you, now come on."

Professor Ashain hastily handed Scorpius his wand and helped Calderon into a sitting position, the assistant wincing at every slight movement. The professor crouched and hooked Calderon's good arm around his shoulder, then he stood taking the taller assistant up with him. Calderon yelped as his injured looking foot touched the ground, his face screwed up in pain but he took a deep breath and seemed determined to push through it.

"That windswept look suits you, you know Scor?" Calderon commented weakly as they started awkwardly trying to head back to the train, moving slowly and carefully to try not aggravate his ankle.

"Calderon just shut up, we have to get out of here."

"I'm in agony Ticcy, trying to distract myself by talking and not pass out. What's the sudden rush?"

Professor Ashain said nothing but Scorpius noticed his eyes darting fearfully to the right, the movement didn't go unnoticed by Calderon either. The assistant made a point of stopping to look in that direction, Scorpius found himself doing the same and to his horror he saw someone.

Someone was watching them. Despite the distance he could clearly make out a figure standing in the darkness, from the angle of its body its hooded head had to be staring right at them. He couldn't make out much else from where he was, even with the two wands casting a light around him but it was unnerving being all too aware of eyes boring into you. He shivered, this time not from the cold.

The figure raised its arm, it was holding a wand and for a horrific second Scorpius thought it would cast something at them even from that distance. Instead it pointed it straight up into the sky and a burst of red light shot out into the starless sky, it started to form into a shape. The crimson became a skeletal snake that wrapped its body into a seemingly random shape, the head stopped in the centre and opened its fanged mouth, the forked tongue sticking out from it. It looked incredibly creepy and strangely familiar, Scorpius was sure he'd seen it before.

"Is that the Dark Mark? Professor?"

"No," Professor Ashain answer worriedly, "its not… I don't know what that is but I don't think its anything good which is why I think we should just get back to the train."

No sooner had the professor spoken did the mark began to fade and in its place letters started forming, oozing eerily like blood like the sky itself had been cut open. He couldn't tear his eyes away as it became into a sentence: _Beware the coming of the son._

"What does that mean?"

"I… I have no idea."

"Stop gawking and get the hell back to the train," Calderon said, his tone commanding and calm. Scorpius looked at him once more surprised to see pain still written onto his face, his wounded wrist was clutched ever closer to chest but his shadowy eyes held determination, "now!"

This seemed to snap Professor Ashain from his staring and they resumed the journey, Scorpius followed but glanced back at the hill once more. The figure was gone and while the letters faded, they remained livid in Scorpius' mind.

They continued heading back to the train, the progress seemed painfully slow but then any length of time they remained out there seemed too long for Scorpius. As they got close enough he noticed the train driver standing in the exit, staring transfixed at the fading message, too transfixed to even notice Professor Ashain's calling for assistance with Calderon. It did make Scorpius wonder how many students had seen it too, he had no doubt at least some at been looking out of the window. They may not realize they'd nearly died but they would at least realize something had happened.

Finally they were back inside the warmth and relative safety of the train, the Driver didn't hesitate to get them moving again while the professor headed back into the main train to bring Calderon back to their compartment. Scorpius just followed in their wake, flooded with relief when they made it back and he slid open the door for the adults.

It was only after Professor Ashain had taken Calderon inside that he noticed a student standing in the corridor watching them. He had untidy black hair and emerald eyes, Scorpius thought he'd seen him at the station but now the boy wore his robes and was watching them worriedly.

"What happened? Why did we stop? Why is that man hurt?" the boy asked him walking over.

"Don't worry about it kid," Scorpius said with a forced smile, he didn't want to start a panic, "just get back to your compartment, we'll be arriving momentarily."

"You're the same age as I am, Malfoy," the boy pointed out with a scowl and Scorpius shivered, partly from the residual cold from outside and partly because the boy said his name like an insult, "so don't talk to me like I'm stupid."

"I'm sorry."

"You should be."

"Why are you being mean to me?" Scorpius asked feeling slightly hurt, he had no idea what he'd done to deserve such a harsh tone and he really wasn't in the mood after the night's events. It must have showed on his face because the boy's anger drained away.

Professor Ashain stepped back out as the boy opened his mouth to reply, Scorpius took the opportunity to slip back into the safety of the compartment. He sighed heavily and slumped onto his seat, tiredness swamped him and he realized he just wanted nothing more than to curl into his nice warm safe bed at home and sleep for a long time.

He pushed it aside, the night was far from over and he was determined to make sure Calderon was alright. He looked across at the assistant, Professor Ashain had laid him down on the other seat although had bent his legs slightly as while skinny, Calderon was fairly tall, longer than the seat. In the better light once more, Scorpius got a better look at him and winced at the number of cuts visible through the rips in his clothing. He just hadn't noticed them in the dark, once more Scorpius kicked himself once more for not knowing anything about healing.

Calderon's eyes were closed and Scorpius noticed him shivering. There was something he could do about that, he picked up Professor Ashain's travel pillow and gently placed it under Calderon's head. Next he grabbed the blanket and pulled it over the assistant, attempting to tuck him in slightly the way his mother had used to when he was younger. He saw a flicker of a smile on Calderon's face as he did this.

"You may want to be less loyal Scor," Calderon commented sleepily without opening his eyes, "loyalty is not very Slytherin, loyalty… loyalty is very Hufflepuffy."

"What do you know about the Houses?"

"I'm the one who calls out the names of the… the first years, got pretty good at guessing who gets into what house. That and I've talked to the hat lots of… lots of times before, we've had quite animated discussions… Oh no, I haven't given the hat a nickname. Why… Why haven't I ever done that? Actually you wouldn't make… make a bad Hufflepuff."

"Me? A Hufflepuff," Scorpius smiled at the odd thought and shook his head.

"Already mentioned your loyalty. You have a… a good sense of right and wrong, they're all for… for fair-play. You jumped right into helping out tonight as… as a messenger, that's hard… hard-work for you. Guess you suck at patience though."

"I don't think it matters, after everything that's happened tonight it seems stupid," Scorpius said worriedly and Calderon's eyes flickered slightly, "you do you think the guy on the hill is the one who tried to kill us?"

"I don't know," Calderon whispered, "try not to worry about it, it's for… for the grown-ups to… to deal with it."

"How can I not? Everyone on this train could've died, would've died. We'd all be dead if not for you, Professor Ashain said he couldn't have done what you did. The guy is still out there, assuming he did and even if he didn't that symbol was kind of ominous and that message and-"

"You're eleven years old Scor, you haven't… haven't even stepped foot in Hogwarts yet. Worrying will do you no good, you can't do anything about… about it so just leave it to the professionals. It'll be…" Calderon interrupted before trailing off weakly and flinching.

"Are you okay?"

"Still in agony," Calderon answered reaching out his good arm and clenching his fist, the lights at the wands Scorpius was still holding immediately went out, "being flung off a train is really… really painful and I… I wouldn't recommend..."

"Calderon?"

Scorpius swallowed anxiously as he noticed the assistant's hand going limp and the lines of pain on his face smoothed out, Calderon's chest continued to rise and fall gently indicating he was still alive at least. Didn't stop Scorpius from worrying though. He reached out to touch Calderon's hand, meaning to put it back under the blanket but flinched at the coldness of the assistant's skin. _No wonder he's shivering_, Scorpius thought frowning as he gripped Calderon's hand in both of his for a moment before putting it back under the blanket.

"Okay, seems we have finally arrived," Professor Ashain announced as he came back into the compartment and sat down beside Scorpius, "safe and sound and alive, or at least keeping everyone that way is no longer my problem."

"What about Calderon? He's still hurt."

"He'll be fine, they have a hospital wing here. They'll know what to do for him."

"Is there anything you can do for him now? He passed out and he's so cold."

"He just needs rest, Scorpius," the professor sighed taking up his wand and waving it at Calderon, a small pulse of light shot out, "and that should warm him up a bit."

"Okay," Scorpius nodded letting out a relieved breath.

"And... well done tonight by the way. You did good."

"I didn't really do anything, it was you and Calderon."

"You made a good messenger," Professor Ashain offered with a slight smile, "seriously if on my first time to Hogwarts I'd heard the train was going to crash, the last thing I would've done was follow Calderon up that ladder. You didn't panic or run screaming as many would have, especially first years, then going to search for Calderon... It was the right thing to do, considering what we saw I'm glad we didn't leave him. Despite the risk."

"Sometimes you have to take a risk."

"Unfortunately yes, although my luck has never been good with such things. Now come on, you best be getting changed into your robes, fast. We really shouldn't be sitting here talking!"

"Can't I stay with Calderon? I want to make sure he's alright," Scorpius asked worriedly as the professor stood just shook his head.

"No, you have to go and sorted into a house and... normal stuff."

"But Calderon-"

"He's not going to get better any faster with you watching him, you can't miss your own sorting!"

Guilty Scorpius conceded the professor was right, they didn't put the sorting on hold and certainly not for something like that. It seemed stupid though, to just be going to get sorted like nothing had happened. He wanted answers, he wanted to be doing something useful. He sighed and left, keeping his head down and hurrying to the luggage compartment where his trunk was.

He was unusually focused on the ground but he still noticed the occasional odd looks from all the other students, probably wondering why he wasn't in robes yet as they clambered to out of the train and onto the platform. He found his trunk quickly and hurriedly changed, rushing back out into the night air and realizing he didn't really know where he was supposed to go.

He looked around anxiously, the dwindling older students seemed to be heading off to one direction but no one his own age. Scorpius was getting worried before he noticed Professor Ashain talking to a huge man, he towered over him and had a dark shaggy mane of hair and beard with a streak of gray. Beyond them he saw a variety of assorted children who looked his own age and dressed in the unsorted uniform.

Scorpius approached them, he spotted the emerald eyed boy and a red headed girl seemingly trying to stand close enough to the adults to listen in without being caught. He also noticed Kyle's younger brother amongst them, looking bored and fidgeting.

"What's happening?" Scorpius asked of the professor as he got close enough and their eyes shot to him, the giant was even more intimidating when he glared at him but he ignored his sense over concern, "is Calderon okay?"

"Calderon will be fine, stop worrying."

"Everyone kept saying my sister would be fine and she died," Scorpius said before he could stop himself, he kicked himself for mentioning her in public but it was the reason he despised the statement, "sorry. I'm just worried."

"Its okay Scorpius," Professor Ashain offered gently and the use of his first name for a second time did not go unnoticed by him, "I promise you, he's being taken care of. I was just filling in Professor Hagrid here, I should get going though."

"Aren't you coming with us?"

"No but I'll see you back at the Great Hall, I'm sure Professor Hagrid will take good care of you. Good luck."

Professor Ashain gave him another smile at this and patted the giant on the shoulder before he walked away, from the ominous Professor Hagrid looked at him though Scorpius wasn't convinced. What the man had in for his family, Scorpius wasn't sure but from the way his father spoke of the giant had had it in for him and from the way his grandfather spoke of the giant he wasn't fit to be teaching.

Then again, Professor Ashain had mentioned an incident in his second year when he'd been picked on by Slytherin's who hexed his legs to stick together and caused him to fall down two flights of stairs, still hexed he'd been unable to get up. The then Gameskeeper Hagrid had been the one who found him, got him to the hospital wing and even stayed with him while he was soon to because he was scared of being alone in there. The giant couldn't be all bad, despite the way he glowered at him.

Professor Hagrid was walking before Scorpius had too much time to dwell on it though, he followed closely as the giant cheerily addressed the students once more, apologizing for the delay and leading them to a series of boats. Scorpius recalled hearing it mentioned that first years got to the castle by going over the Black Lake, he hadn't been on a boat before and he was slightly nervous due to the fact he'd only been swimming once, he hadn't enjoyed it much or been particularity good at it either.

He was the first one into the boat, Kyle's brother and a few others he didn't recognize joined him. He sighed inwardly, from the angry spark in the brother's blue eyes, Scorpius had a feeling it would be a long journey. It wasn't too bad though he found, Kyle's brother said nothing and as they crossed the lake he did lay eyes on Hogwarts castle for the first time. It was a beautiful sight.

"No teacher's here to protect you now," a voice sneered.

Scorpius looked back, just fast enough to see Kyle's brother was the speaker. The brunette and a snickering boy beside him slammed themselves into their side of the boat, the movement caused the boat to rock violently and unprepared Scorpius felt himself thrown backwards into the icy water.


	6. I: Dying

Scorpius gasped as he was plunged into the cold water, nothing could prepared him from the shock of it. The acrid water was so cold it seemed to physically bite into him, it felt like every part of him had been stabbed with thousands of icicles that pierced him straight through his bones and remained in. He felt quite literally, frozen to the core.

He tried to think and forced his freezing body into action, recalling what he remembered about swimming. Determinedly he began kicking his legs and clawing at the water with his arms, he did seem to be moving but didn't breech the surface. He didn't think he'd fallen in that deep.

Furiously he kicked his legs harder and opened his eyes, the water stung at them but after a second he adapted. The Black Lake was an apt name. Even with his eyes open, Scorpius could see nothing but blackness surrounding him, engulfing him in every direction. He couldn't possibly have fallen that deep. He had fallen headfirst though, he realized, he'd probably just been swimming deeper the entire time. He stopped kicking and tried not to panic, _which way to the surface?!_ Everything looked the same and his lungs picked that moment to scream for air.

Abruptly something was grabbing him, a strong solid but bony hands seemed to latch onto his wrist and pulled. Scorpius felt himself being dragged further down into the darkness, he tried to yank his hand away but the hand held on firmly and dug sharp nails into his wrist painfully while another hand grabbed his leg.

He struggled against them, thrashing wildly but they refused let go and continued pulling him down. More hands seemed to grab at him, he felt them clawing at his body and trying to get a grip. Scorpius wanted to scream but couldn't, fighting ever harder against the hoard of hands but it was a losing battle. He did start to panic then, he needed to be free, he needed to breath.

'_Focus.'_

Scorpius recalled Calderon's words in his mind and focused, panicking would do him no good. He stopped struggling and instead tried to scramble for his wand, it was hard, the stabbing cold was being replaced numbness which made it awkward for his fumbling fingers to retrieve the thin stick. He longed to take a deep breath, his lungs felt like they were burning but he couldn't. Instead he just focused on the assistant's words, trying not to think that if he failed then he would die. He would die, drowning in darkness.

'_Focus. Wands only__ channel the power that is already inside you, summon that power, let it flow through you and the wand and then just unleash it.'_

It was hard to focus with everything happening, his lungs burned, the hands dug in their nails and tugged him downwards. Scorpius let it all wash over him, focus on the power inside himself and let it flow into his wand. Then he unleashed it. Light exploded from his wand, like lightening shooting out. The creatures the hands belonged to screamed, let go of him and fled.

He didn't have time to be relieved though, his lungs hurt too much. Instead he started trying to claw his way up to the surface, forcing his numb legs to kick. It was no use. He either seemed to be moving impossibly slowly or not at all, his strength seemed to be slipping away and it was getting harder to move. Finally he couldn't hold his breath anymore and water flooded into him, the darkness consumed him. Vaguely he felt something wrapping around his body, carrying him up but he couldn't stay awake enough to care.

* * *

Peter Snyder, Train Driver for the Hogwarts Express, was relieved to make it back to his bedroom. He closed the door and let out a relieved breath, leaning against and shutting his eyes, drinking in the peace. The night's events had shaken him deeply, he felt too old to be dealing with all that.

"Good evening Peter," a voice greeted him.

Panicked the driver spun around, a man was sitting in the corner watching him with a grin. Peter didn't know his name but he had short sandy hair and a handsome face, he only looked around thirty but there was something about the way his dark eyes watched Peter, something that unnerved him. Like a predator watching his prey. He was dressed in a black cloak and it didn't go unnoticed by Peter that his wand was out, the man lazily twirling it in his fingers. Peter shivered but relaxed slightly, more determined than ever that he was doing the right thing.

"I'm out," Peter said firmly, "I'm not helping you again."

"Oh Peter, that is disappointing," the man commented but didn't lose his smile, "I thought you loved your daughter more than this."

"I do love her! But maybe some Azkaban would be good for her. I mean she hexed a muggle for cheating on her, its not like she killed the guy so she shouldn't be in prison for too long and with the Dementors no longer used, its not even as bad there now."

"With my master's aid she needn't go to Azkaban at all."

"You said all you wanted to do was test something!" Peter bust out furiously, "not try to kill us all! You said no one would get hurt, I only agreed to this if no one was to get hurt and you lied to me!"

"No one died, just as I promised."

"You destroyed a freakin' aqueduct! If Calderon-"

"Ifs are for idiots," the man interrupted calmly, "Calderon _was_ there and the problem was dealt with."

"You can't possibly have known he was going to do that! What if he hadn't?! I would be dead, all those poor kids would be dead!"

"My master never doubted Calderon would think of something to save them, so I never considered the possibility of his failure either. Killing the next generation of magic was not the purpose of the exercise, like I say it was a test."

"What test?! And what was with that creepy symbol and message in the sky?!"

"That's for my master to know and you to not," the man stated as his smile faded, he looked almost regretful, "are you sure you aren't going to further aid my master?"

"I'm sure," Peter said steadfast, "I want nothing more to do with you or your master, whatever you're doing I don't think its good and I don't want to be a part of it."

"A shame, Peter. My master thought you might say that, I've been told to inform you that my master regrets this, you could've had everything," the man told him as his expression turned dark, "I, on the other hand, believe you to be despicable. Rejecting my master's kindness and aid like that... I do not regret this. _Imperio!_"

Peter wanted to scream as the burst of magic hit him, he couldn't though and he felt a surprising sense of warmth wash over him. It was the strangest sensation, he was aware of his feet walking to his desk and his body sitting down but he wasn't the one moving it. His hands reached out, one pulling a clean sheet of paper before him and the other dipping his quill in the ink pot, it started to write.

"Oh by the way I almost forgot," the man said laughing at his forgetfulness as Peter's hand continued writing,"who was that boy? You know, the one with the new professor and Calderon? Helped him inside? That was one thing my master hadn't planned on, it would've been preferable for Calderon to remain."

"Malfoy," Peter answered, finding his mouth was still his, "Scorpius Malfoy, he was in the staff compartment with them and kinda got sucked up into events. What are you-"

"Going to do to you?" the man finished his sentence for him and his grin returned, only this time with a sadistic twist, "oh I'm not going to do anything. _You are_. Why don't you read what you've written?"

With an increasing feeling of horror, Peter was allowed to look at the paper as his hand signed it with his own signature. He tried to scream 'no' but his mouth no longer worked, he was only capable of moving his eyes. Tears leaked from them as his body stood, retrieving a length of rope he kept in his room spare for the boats and began tying it.

He met the man's eyes pleadingly, wishing his mouth could speak so he could beg for his life, he didn't want to die. The man had to see his crying, he had to see his desperation, if Peter could speak he would scream his allegiance over and over, anything to not die.

"Oh and unlike you, my master does not break promises. Your daughter won't go to Azkaban prison," the man stated as Peter's body stepped up onto the desk chair and hung the noose from the rafters, "however something tells me she won't be able to live knowing her father killed himself."

Peter tried to fight against the magic controlling him, he tried to throw it off, he _had_ to protect his daughter, he felt like his mind was thrashing about against it but his body didn't even flinch. Instead his own body hung itself against its owner's will, Peter tried to scream in frustration before his body kicked the chair out from under him. The man laughed. It was the last sound Peter Snyder ever heard as he died.

* * *

All at once Scorpius felt himself being slammed onto solid ground, he felt his chest being squeezed painfully. Water spurted out of his mouth, he fell to his knees spluttering out water and gasping for air. Air. Beautiful breathable air. Scorpius gulped it down in relief, for a moment just breathing and letting the oxygen flood back to his brain.

The wind whipped his back and he shuddered at the cold once more, glancing around he realized he seemed to be on solid ground, the shore of the lake. He turned his aching body around and sat on the pebbles, blinking in surprise at what he saw. It was a squid, a giant squid, just bobbing near the shore. Its long tentacles waved around him but it didn't seem to be attacking him, in fact considering what he remembered before passing out he wondered if it had saved his life.

Cautiously Scorpius got to his feet, his legs wobbled treacherously but he succeeded in standing and slowly moved closer to the creature. Halting abruptly when it swung one of its massive tentacles before him, the end was curled up and as it uncurled a stick was dropped. Scorpius caught it without hesitation and realized it was his wand, the squid had saved him, it had to have.

"Thank you."

Scorpius voice sounded quiet to his ears but he meant it nonetheless, even though he doubted the creature could understand him. It had saved his life when a bunch of people in boats around him hadn't, they probably hadn't even tried to help him, no one ever did. The giant squid stretched out its tentacle and brushed his cheek gently, he smiled weakly and stroked the tentacle, not quite sure how you showed gratitude or affection for a squid. It made a noise, Scorpius couldn't quite describe but it didn't sound malevolent before it slowly retreated back into the water and vanished from sight. He waved as it went, until even the ripples of water it left had faded away.

He was alone.

Scorpius gazed across the water, the castle continued to stand tall and proud, magnificently illuminated against the empty sky. He saw the boats, the lanterns on each almost like stars in the darkness. Stars that continued on towards their destination, leaving him forgotten in the darkness.

The stars blurred and he realized there were tears in his eyes, angrily he wiped them away. He didn't care he was being abandoned, he didn't! He could just find his own way back, he wasn't neither stupid nor a coward. However it would have been nice for Hagrid to come back for him, he was soaked through his skin and freezing. He just wanted the night to be over already.

Turning away from the lake he sighed and started walking along the shore, trying to get the lay of the land so it'd be easier to find his bearings in the dark. It wasn't an ideal situation, even without the added threat of who or what could be lurking in the woods. He decided it would be wiser to keep his wand out and at the ready, he may not know any spells yet but whatever he had done seemed to be working for now and it was better than nothing.

As he was looking however he caught sight of a shape in the trees, curiously he moved towards it. It looked white, maybe some kind of stone? He didn't know much about rocks either but as he got closer it did become obvious it was not naturally occurring, it was a solid block that looked about the length of a man... it was a tomb, Scorpius realized in horror, it was the tomb of Albus Dumbledore.

Scorpius swallowed nervously, no one in his family liked talking about the former headmaster but he had heard it said his father had once almost killed the man. He just stared at the tomb for awhile, it seemed so alone, so desolate. Dumbledore had supposedly been a great wizard, he'd defeated one of the greatest dark wizards of the age and been feared by the other, made several important discoveries and been a beloved headmaster by many of his students. Yet here he lay, in a deserted tomb in the darkness.

"I know you don't know me, I know you knew my parents, my grandparents... maybe even my great-grandparents, I'm not quite sure how old you were but I know it was a fair old age," Scorpius said awkwardly, feeling compelled to say something to the lonely tomb, "my name is Scorpius, Scorpius Malfoy. Yeah shudder, a Malfoy, guess that makes me evil or something? It would have been interesting to meet you all the same, instead of just talking to your tomb. I'm not quite sure why I am, I guess I just feel bad for you being here all alone. I know how hard it is to be all alone and I don't think you really deserve that, even though I guess you're not alive and it doesn't matter but... yeah. And I'd like to apologize, on behalf of my family. I feel like I should sometimes."

Scorpius nodded and sighed once more, retrieving some kind of flower growing beside a tree he moved over and placed it on Dumbledore's tomb. It was what people did, put flowers at people's graves. It was odd but no more odd than talking to one, maybe it was to show you still cared even though they were gone they were not forgotten. Whatever the reason it felt like the right thing to do.

"Oh and if you... if you ever see my sister on the other side, tell her that her big brother says hi. People seem to think just because she wasn't alive very long, that she didn't matter but she did. Tell her we love her and I hope she's having a better time of things than I am," Scorpius added sadly, "maybe our family is cursed Lyra, that's why the innocent must suffer for the crimes of our relatives. It cost you your life already and fate seems determined to take mine, maybe I'll see you both sooner than I thought. Goodbye for now though, take care."

He felt stupid saying it but it made him feel slightly less alone, considering he'd just been left there to die. He started to walk away but stopped abruptly, he felt a chill down his spine and instinctively he turned back. There was a shadowy figure hovering over to Dumbledore's tomb from the opposite side to Scorpius, quite literally it was a shadow but shaped like a person and standing.

He staggered back against a tree and held up his wand protectively, the shadow didn't seem interested in him though, it ran its hand-shaped limps over the tomb. Scorpius had no idea what it was or what he should do, what was it even doing? He had no idea. And then it looked at him, it turned its head and he met the only part of it that resembled its face. Eyes, pitch black holes where people had eyes. He didn't know what it was or what it wanted but staring into the eyes... it felt wrong, bad. It wasn't a good thing.

At first he thought it would do something but instead it just turned back to the tomb and stepped _into_ it, seeping through the stone like it was a ghost and vanishing from sight. Scorpius turned and started to run, he'd go a different way into the forest or the shore, a different way to the shadow.

He wasn't paying attention to where he was going however and ran straight into something, he fell backwards onto the pebbled shore and winced at the aggravated bruises. He was focusing his magic even before he raised his wand, ready to fight the shadow in a heartbeat. As he looked up however he saw it wasn't a shadow at all. It was Hagrid.


	7. I: Sorted

"Are yer alright there, Malfoy?" Hagrid asked sounding surprisingly worried.

Scorpius nodded and tried to not to wince as he got to his feet, falling had reminded him that the first hand had cut his wrist quite painfully with its nails. He was used to that wrist being in pain though, made it easier to ignore.

He got to his feet quickly and glanced back at the treeline, wand raised in preparation as he tried to place himself protectively between himself and the giant who didn't seem to have a wand in sight. An imposing figure Hagrid may be, but if the shadow could go through solid stone then he had a feeling a physical person wouldn't be a problem. With any luck magic might help though, he could at least try to protect Hagrid and himself.

"What are yer doing? There's nothin' there."

"There was a shadow," Scorpius answered before he could realize how stupid it sounded.

"Lots o' shadows out 'ere in the dark."

"Look I know it sounds weird but there was this… this thing, it stepped into Dumbledore's tomb-"

"Wha' right 'ave _you_ to go to Albus Dumbledore's tomb?!" the giant interrupted furiously and Scorpius glanced at Hagrid once more.

"I'm sorry," Scorpius apologized awkwardly, not quite sure what he'd done wrong, "I felt like I should pay my respects, I just noticed it when I was trying to figure out a way back to the castle."

"Tryin' to get… did yer really think I'd jus' leave yer out 'ere all by yerself?"

"Well yeah…"

Scorpius trailed off, nervous of offending the giant again. He would be attending Hogwarts for seven years – assuming he ever actually got to set foot in the place – and he would have to have contact and lessons with Hagrid at some point, the giant may have it in for his family but Scorpius hoped they could at least be civil to one another. He lowered his wand tentatively and shivered as a gust of wind brushed his face with its icy hand, it reanimated Hagrid.

"Blimey, yer must be freezin' out 'ere!"

At these words the giant removed his huge leather coat and draped it over Scorpius' shoulders, Scorpius literally felt his body sag at the weight of the thing but it was warm at least. Hagrid put an arm around him tentatively and started leading them over to the boat he'd returned on, he must have dropped the other students in his boat off first because it was empty now.

"Any chance we could… not go by boat?"

"Nah but don't worry, I'll make sure yer don't fall in again."

Scorpius wondered if Hagrid realized he hadn't fallen in by accident but by Kyle's brother's design, however he pushed it out of his mind and sighed. He clambered into the tiny boat, gripping the sides as the giant too climbed in and the whole thing rocked. He let out a relieved breath when Hagrid was seated and the rocking ceased, he kept one hand on the side however but held his wand up in the other, keeping it pointed at the shore as the boat magically started moving out.

"Them shadows really ain't gonna get you, y'know? All the years I've been at Hogwarts an' not once 'ave shadows attacked… What 'appened to yer wrist?!"

"I err…" Scorpius stuttered in panic before realizing Hagrid just meant the fresh marks from the hands in the lake, "somethings attacked me in the lake, I fought them off before I… drowned and then the giant squid brought me here. Its just a few scratches and bruises, its nothing."

"Still it ain't good," Hagrid muttered looking worried, "will 'ave to get yer checked out before we get yer back to the great hall."

"Please, I'll be fine. I don't want to make a fuss."

"Don't want to make a fuss? Are yer sure yer Draco Malfoy's son?" the giant said with a slight chuckle as he shook his head, the joke was lost on Scorpius however, "wait how'd yer fight off those creatures?"

"Something Calderon taught me on the train… that's twice he saved my life tonight. I hope he'll be okay."

"He will be, yer can see fer yerself when I take yer to Madam Pomfrey. He is actually tougher than he looks, yer should've seen him when he first got 'ere."

"Why?"

"He was injured when he got 'ere, looked like he'd been in a fight or two, or three an' he was so thin, skeletal he was, you'd 'ave thought he'd never eaten before! He came with the clothes on his back, if yer can call 'em that, was little more than filthy rags. Dunno where he was before but he looked like he'd been through hell, yer wouldn't recognize him, yer wouldn't."

"Really?" Scorpius wondered scowling, Calderon hadn't mentioned any of that.

"Aye," Hagrid nodded, "he's come a long way, he has. When he first got here he was terrified and amazed by near everything he saw, jumped at his own shadow and barely spoke two words to anyone. Had no control of his magic neither, or not much anyway. Magic jus' happened 'round him, specially when he was emotional. Well it still does but by his choice, mostly. He's an odd one, he is, but I like him well enough, only one o the staff who shares me love for dragons and the like."

He wrapped Hagrid's coat closer round himself against the cold and fell silent, once more worrying for the assistant's life. His eyes never strayed from the shore though, still watchful for the shadow although he was beginning to wonder whether he had just imagined the whole thing.

Scorpius was infinitely pleased that the return journey was much more pleasant, not almost drowning helped, although he didn't really feel safe until his feet touched solid ground. Hagrid tied up the boat and led him into the castle, as his shoes took their first step onto the stone he smiled and paused. He had actually made it to Hogwarts, for everyone else it may be run of the mill and fairly boring but after everything that had happened that day... It felt like an achievement to him.

"Yip Yip hooray," Scorpius mused and couldn't stop himself from laughing. It had been so long since he'd laughed, the sound was alien and just made him laugh harder.

"Are yer alright, Malfoy?"

"Just surprised I actually made it here after everything," Scorpius answered as his mirth died in an instant, he was too tired to be humiliated that Hagrid had seen his display but he still got better control of himself.

To his annoyance though, Hagrid insisted on taking him to the nurse. No matter how much he protested against it, the giant was determined so to the hospital wing he was taken. He did feel humiliated by that, no one else had had to go there first and no other first years and almost drowned. As he followed Hagrid into the hospital wing his spirits soared, there was Calderon lying in the far bed.

"Calderon!"

Hagrid's coat made it difficult to run but he gave it his best shot as he bolted for Calderon, the assistant didn't react though. As he reached the bed it did become apparent Calderon was still unconscious, his eyes didn't even flicker and Scorpius' heart sank. At least he noticed that the cut on Calderon's forehead was stitched and his wrist was bandaged, it was good he was being treated.

"What do we have here?" a stern-sounding woman demanded coming over to him, Scorpius didn't turn his head away from Calderon while Hagrid explained what had happened.

Scorpius found himself directed to the bed opposite Calderon, he handed Hagrid back his coat and thanked him for its use. The giant blinked as if surprised by this but Scorpius didn't care, lying on the bed reminded him that if he closed his eyes he could easily sleep. If only he didn't have to get a house first. He decided to focus on that while the nurse flitted around his injuries, she used some spell to warm him and his clothes up first though. She bandaged his wrist, he was afraid she'd say something about the scar around it but thankfully she didn't. She then used magic on the less severe cuts and bruises to heal them, or at least to dull the pain comfortably.

"Will Calderon be alright?" he asked while she was tending to him.

"Yes, he just needs rest. If you want I'll pass on to him that you were concerned, when he wakes up of course."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure!" the nurse - Madam Pomfrey - snapped, "I've been doing this a long time. In fact I'm way overdue for retirement, curse Calderon and his 'just one more year' speech. If one more year ever ended he'd be looking for a whole new staff!"

Scorpius nodded and just fell silent while she finished, Hagrid just stood by his side watching silently with a curious expression. She was done fairly quickly but he had a feeling she'd been rushing it on purpose, after all he was still missing his own sorting. He did hope they hadn't gotten to his name yet, he wasn't sure how long it took though so it was hard to guess how many were done.

When she was finished he also thanked her, she looked as surprised as Hagrid had. _Hasn't anyone at Hogwarts heard manners before?_ He wondered before bitterly wondering if it was because he was a Malfoy, for a school who prized itself on tolerance it was hypocritical they judge him for being a Malfoy. He said nothing on the subject though and just followed Hagrid once more, this time he let his attention drift to his surroundings. They passed ghosts and more portraits than he'd expected, they whispered to themselves and he had a feeling it was about him.

And finally, _finally_, they were at the great hall. Hagrid pushed open the double doors and Scorpius was inside the famous room, the sky did indeed look the sky outside except in this case it was more beautiful than the current vacuum of blackness outside. He gazed up at it, drinking it in along with the thousands of floating candles before lowering his gaze at the four tables vertical to him. Lined both sides with students of the four houses, he vaguely recognized the different colors for each house.

Hagrid had stepped to one side and he could see straight ahead, the smaller horizontal table that had to have the teachers seated at it. In front of him, directly in front of him across the hall was a hat sitting on a stool. There were no other first year students standing in the gap, he also saw the feast had already begun. They'd already finished the sorting and started the feast without him. For a second he wasn't sure what would happen, did that mean he couldn't go to Hogwarts after all?

"SCORPIUS HYPERION MALFOY!"

A voice yelled his full name and suddenly all eyes were on him, every head in the great hall swiveled in his direction. He froze momentarily, his legs begged him to turn around run away but he took a deep breath, clenching his fists determinedly. Bravely he stepped forward, he kept his eyes on the hat and strode up the great length of the room. He could still feel the weight of a thousand different pairs of eyes resting on his shoulders as he walked, he didn't dare flinch or back down.

Scrorpius reached the dais and looked up at the assorted teachers, recognizing no one but Professor Ashain but looked relieved to see him and waved. He smiled but didn't dare wave back, his eyes found the man directly in front of him, the headmaster. Headmaster Philip Jareth Kenyon Varanian. He was a tall man, his wavy gray hair was short as was his closely cropped beard and mustache. His silvery eyes bored into Scorpius, they looked dangerous and radiated power. He dared not blink or shy away.

"You're late," the headmaster said simply, his tone disapproving but his face was an unreadable mask, "give me a reason why you should even be allowed to be sorted?"

"Sorry 'bout that, sir," Hagrid apologized and Scorpius realized the giant was at his shoulder, "got a bit lost in the lake, I take full responsibility. Its not his fault."

Scorpius was so shocked he glanced at the giant, Hagrid put a hand on his shoulder but didn't look away from the headmaster. Varanian leaned back, his eyes flickered between them.

"So you're saying I should fire you for your failure to protect a student, instead of expelling the boy?"

"Y-Yes," Hagrid wavered looking afraid. Scorpius couldn't believe it.

"And you still claim responsibility?"

"Don't you think you're being completely unfair?!" Professor Ashain burst out looking horrified as did several of the other teachers. Varanian didn't flinch.

"Silence Ashain," Varanian commanded without looking at him, the professor opened and closed his mouth a few times but seemed afraid to speak up, "I was speaking to Professor Hagrid here. So do you still claim responsibility for this gross breach of protection, or not?"

"Yes, I wasn't payin' enough attention."

"So be it. Hagrid you're-"

"Hey!" Scorpius snapped venomously stepping forward, Varanian's eyes shifted back to him, "it was my fault, not his, Hagrid did everything he could. And don't you think there's worse breaches of protection to worry about than a stupid accident in the lake? Like what happened on the train?"

"Silence, I've heard enough," Varanian commanded once more standing and walking around the table to come to stand behind the stool, he picked up the hat, "well take a seat why don't you, Mr Malfoy?"

Scorpius swallowed but gave no other hint of his anxiety as he slowly climbed the three steps to the stool, he sat down and Varanian dropped the hat onto his head. He felt the headmaster's bony hands on his shoulders, he gazed at all the faces still watching him, wondering how much they'd heard.

He recognized Kyle and his friends at the Slytherin table glaring at him, he also saw Kyle's brother had been placed into the same house. That morning he'd wanted to be in Slytherin, expected to be as all Malfoys were. In that moment though he found himself hoping against it and not just because of the bullies, he didn't want to be like all other Malfoys, he didn't want to be defined by his family.

"_That's a brave attitude_," a voice spoke and it took a second for Scorpius to realize it was the hat itself, "_but don't fret, you're not a Slytherin. I'm not sure what you are actually, you're smart yes but you're not a Ravenclaw."_

"Hufflepuff then," Scorpius whispered actually feeling relieved, Calderon had said it earlier and he had come to realize the assistant was probably right, it was a good fit for him. He just hoped there wasn't too many mudbloods in it.

"_You do have quite a few Hufflepuff traits," _the hat conceded, "_lacking in some others though, are we not?"__  
_  
"I'm working on being tolerant, now please hurry up and say Hufflepuff," Scorpius pleaded feeling the headmaster's grip on his shoulder's tightening, were teacher's usually that close?

_"Not very patient though either, are you?"_

"Its the only house left," Scorpius pointed out and heard the hat chuckle, he scowled in confusion, "Calderon said I wouldn't make a bad Hufflepuff."

_"Oh Calderon said that, did he?_" the hat commented and Scorpius started to nod before realizing how stupid it was with the hat on his head, it seemed to get the message nonetheless, "_well in that case it better be: GRYFFINDOR!"_

"What?!" Scorpius said in a strangled panicked yelp, "you said the wrong house! I can't be a Gryffindor! I'm not a Gryffindor! I'm not even brave! Pick again!"

_"GRYFFINDOR! GRYFFINDOR! GRYFFINDOR! GRYFF-IN-DOR!"_

The hat yelled again, screaming repeatedly and so loud it made Scorpius' ears hurt. He felt the hat tugged off his head and he was shoved in the direction of the Gryffindor table by Varanian's hands. Awkwardly he traipsed toward the table, he hadn't even considered Gryffindor. As he got nearer he realized one person was clapping, Molly Weasley, he picked her out easily and for some reason his stomach did a somersault. _What is wrong with me?!_ he wondered. A few more people clapped as he got closer, some halfheartedly, some more genuine. He took his seat nervously, some were glaring at him.

"Are you still standing there Hagrid? Sit down," Varanian snapped dismissively to Hagrid as he threw the sorting hat into the air, it vanished in an almost explosion of lights that shot in all directions and Varanian raised his arms and voice simultaneously, "let the feast resume!"


	8. I: Nightmare

As the hall once more was flooded with conversation and the sounds of people eating, Scorpius cringed. He wrinkled his nose at the repulsive delightful aroma of the food on the Gryffindor table, the last thing he felt like doing was eating.

He wanted to wake up. This was a nightmare. It had to be. It made sense when he thought about it, the train, the lake, the shadow, it was all as unbelievable as being sorted into _Gryffindor_. He was so nervous about going to Hogwarts his cruel mind had trapped him in this intensely realistic nightmare, it was the only explanation that made sense.

Scorpius pinched himself. He didn't wake up. _It couldn't be real_, he told himself firmly suddenly feeling like screaming in frustration. Gryffindors were show-offs, arrogant jerks who were full of themselves. How could the hat possibly think he was like that? It was wrong. He didn't want to be there, he'd had enough for one night, he had well and truly had enough. He wanted to wake up now.

"Aren't you going to eat anything?" a voice asked and he flicked his eyes to the boy opposite him, the emerald-eyed boy.

"I'm not hungry."

Scorpius shrugged it off and glanced back to the towards the teacher's table. Professor Hagrid had taken his seat, he seemed to be in conversation with Professor Ashain and an elderly woman he didn't know the name of. When he looked back to Varanian however, Scorpius was shocked to see the man was now beardless and his hair was now longer and auburn.

"What happened to Varanian? He was gray a minute ago," Scorpius questioned of no on in particular.

"He's a metamorphmagi clearly," a girl answered testily.

"I don't like him," Scorpius pointed out darkly as the headmaster met his gaze once more, Varanian's eyes remained cold, hard and unforgiving.

"Why didn't you tell him that it wasn't your fault that you fell in?" a new voice spoke up and he looked back to the table seeing it was the boy beside him, "I saw the others in the boat with you deliberately rock it so that you'd fall in."

"It would have sounded like a lie."

"But it was the truth," the boy offered but Scorpius just said nothing and took to staring at the empty plate before him, "why don't you eat something? You look thin enough as it is, no need to starve."

"I'd rather starve than eat food from Gryffindor," Scorpius muttered bitterly looking at his battered blond self in the reflection.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"You should eat, here have mine."

Before Scorpius could stop him, the boy had switched plates with him. A half-eaten plate stacked with food was shoved in front of him, the boy simply beamed and as Scorpius opened his mouth to reply the girl spoke again.

"Oh just let him to starve if that's what he wants," she said and Scorpius saw it was the red-headed girl she'd seen around the emerald-eyed boy before, she looked like a Weasley.

"Its not what _I_ want," the boy pointed out determinedly, his smile gone as he started piling more food onto the empty plate, "its not right to stuff your face when folk around you are going without. Come on Malfoy, it'd be good for you to get some nice warm grub, that water has to have been freezing."

Scorpius looked disgustedly at the food in front of him then back to the boy, who was watching him anxiously waiting for him to eat. He seemed determined to stick by his principles of not eating while Scorpius didn't, the boy himself looked unnaturally thin and hungry. He sighed in defeat, he didn't really want the boy to starve on his account. He picked at a chunk of meat with his fork and forced it into his mouth, it was delicious but it could have been rubber for all Scorpius cared. The boy seemed content with this and dived back into his newly filled plate.

"I'm Michael by the way," the boy added almost as an afterthought as he paused in his consumption, "Michael Sanford, nice to meet you."

"I'm Scorpius."

"Everyone knows," the Weasley pointed out, glaring at him still, "we all heard your name being called."

"Don't need to hear your name to guess that you're a Weasley?"

"Rose Weasley. You have a problem that, Malfoy?"

"No. Do you?" Scorpius retorted trying not to let her attitude get to him but he really wasn't in the mood. This seemed to shut her up however, she didn't seem to know how to react to that.

"And I'm Albus Potter," the emerald-eyed spoke up. That did explain a lot, Scorpius realized before Potter leaned forwards and dropped his voice, "so what happened on the train? We saw that symbol and that message in the sky."

"Why do you think that I'd know?" Scorpius whispered back scowling, both Rose and Michael leaned in to hear in curiosity.

"Because you were with the teachers."

"Why do you want to know then?"

"They just told us there were some technical difficulties," Michael added, "and that the staff dealt with it, some prankster made the symbol, not very informative like. Curiosity may have killed the cat but its torturing the rest of us."

"Well that's what happened. There were problems but Calderon saved us, Professor Ashain helped."

"Saved us?" Rose repeated raising an eyebrow. Scorpius could've kicked himself.

"That doesn't sound like a prank, the message-"

"Look I really don't know anything, I just happened to be there with the staff and they don't know what happened either. They don't know what the message or symbol meant or who cast it, neither do I. Its over, just let it go," Scorpius interrupted and busied himself with eating so they couldn't ask anymore.

It worked, they didn't ask anymore questions even though they didn't seem satisfied but Scorpius really didn't know that much more than them. Except for how they'd almost died and it seemed pointless to divulge it, especially to two of the people he'd been warned against meeting. He really wanted to wake up.

He was hungrier than he'd realized and finished his whole plate easily, Michael grinned at this and once more switched their plates. He was careful after that to eat slower in case he got a third course, he rested his head on one hand and picked at the food miserably.

The conversation turned to the other first years talking a bit about themselves and for the older years, what they did over the summer. While he said nothing, Scorpius did make a mental note of who was who before they moved onto year ahead.

His attention dwindled at that point, he only half listened to those around him talking enthusiastically about what subjects they'd be learning. It felt apart from it all. The feeling of detachment had followed him from home, dream or not, he felt more alone than ever surrounded by all those students. He supposed it didn't help that he didn't want to be there but then again he still felt it at home, no matter how badly he wanted to feel connected to his family again. _What has my life become?_

Scorpius' eyes wandered back to the teacher's table, he was too far away to make out what they were saying but the expression on almost every face was anxious. He had a feeling they were talking about what happened on the train, he had told his new classmates to dismiss it but the teacher's were fools if they ignored it. He didn't know much but he knew it wasn't a prank.

He also kept an eye on Varanian, the headmaster didn't look worried, Scorpius wondered if his face was even capable of showing emotion. He did notice Varanian picked at his food the same way he was doing, possibly a sign of anxiety? Abruptly Varanian looked at him once more, startled Scorpius immediately turned back to his own table but he felt the headmaster's eyes boring into the back of his head for a long time.

He skipped dessert, opting to continue picking at his food, which negated him from having his plate switched with Michael. He was content with what he had. He didn't want dessert, really he just wanted the feast to be over.

It seemed to take an eternity before it did finally end, the prefects were told to lead the students to their common rooms. Scorpius just followed silently, trying to memorize the route as he walked to Gryffindor tower. They finally came to a painting of... a slightly overweight woman, Scorpius amended politely. The prefect explained they needed a password to get in and should do well to remember 'Dumbledore' as that was the current password.

Scorpius tried not to look at the common room much, it was the Gryffindor common room after all. He felt like he was in enemy territory, he didn't belong there. He followed quickly to the dormitory that he would have to share with four other first year boys, their things had already been brought up and he was pleased to see his bed was right beside the window. He was not so pleased to see Albus Potter would have one of the beds either side of him, Albus on the right and Michael on the left. _At least there's quite a fair gap between beds_, Scorpius thought and was also relaxed seeing each bed had drapes to give them some privacy.

He went straight over to his bed and greeted his recently white horned owl, Scorpius had been allowed to pick the owl himself although he hadn't thought of a name yet. It was comforting to see something familiar, Scorpius smiled when he saw him and wished the owl wasn't caged.

Almost as if on command nameless-owl's cage door flew open, Scorpius jumped in shock as the owl flew out and straight towards him. It squawked almost in greeting and landed on his outstretched arm, the other boys gasped in amazement - even Albus Potter - and gathered round him, Scorpius just gently caressed the owl's beautifully soft feathers.

"That's so cool!" Michael exclaimed excitedly, "how did you get him to do that?!"

"I don't know," Scorpius admitted but he was glad of the bird all the same as the others dispersed, "looks like its just you and me, eh birdie?"

The owl squawked gently at this and Scorpius smiled, he liked animals. Carefully he brought nameless-owl back to the cage but left the door open, in case the owl wanted to stretch his wings a bit. He fed the bird a quick treat before going to bed, he drew the drapes and climbed under the covers before getting undressed. He was asleep almost before his head hit the pillow.

_"Get out there!" Marvin yelled._

_Scorpius whimpered as he was half-dragged from the van and violently thrown onto the dirt, he started to get to his knees but was kicked back down. He didn't need telling twice. He lay on the damp ground and dared not move, not even to shiver at the cold. Marvin walked around him, dragging a shovel across the soil as he did so.  
_

_After a moment Marvin seemed to be finished, he grabbed Scorpius and hauled him back to his feet. Scorpius didn't fight it, he was too focused on trying to figure out what was happening. Marvin put the shovel in Scorpius' hands and fixed the open handcuff to the handle, Scorpius eyes went to the lines in the ground. Marvin had drawn a rectangle around him.  
_

_"Dig, boy," Marvin commanded, "where I've marked, dig the whole space up."  
_

_"Why?" Scorpius asked before he could stop himself and without hesitation Marvin smacked his head painfully.  
_

_"Just do it."  
_

_Scorpius nodded and obediently started digging but his eyes scanned around for any way to escape. They were in the middle of nowhere, he saw nothing but open fields and hills all around although it wasn't easy to see in the darkness. The only light came from the headlights of the van. _

_He didn't like it. Still he dug though, it'd probably be worse if he didn't. It was harder than he thought to dig though, the soil was heavy and being handcuffed to the shovel didn't help. Every load just seemed to chafe at his wrist even more, it was so tight it hurt regardless of anything else. After awhile he felt blood trickling from his wrist but he didn't stop digging.  
_

_"Okay that's enough," Marvin said eventually and dragged him out of the hole.  
_

_Scorpius shivered despite himself as he looked at the rectangular shaped hole, it looked like a grave. Maybe it was. A fresh wave of horror cascaded through him as Marvin removed the handcuffs, from both the shovel and the wrist. He rubbed his pained wrist, it was the first time it had been free in months. Any other time he would have been overjoyed but on that night, it just added to the ominous feeling he had.  
_

_"Why are we here?" Scorpius whispered quietly, deciding to risk a question.  
_

_"Its the perfect place to dump a body," Marvin answered with a cruel smile, pointedly waving the gun in Scorpius' line of vision.  
_

_"I don't want to die."  
_

_"None of us do."  
_

_"Please," Scorpius said desperately, his voice caught in his throat and he couldn't stop the tears from welling in his eyes, "please don't kill me Marvin, please! I don't want to die! I just want to go home, please just let me go home. I won't tell anyone, I promise. Or my family... they have money, they can give you money if you just don't kill me!"  
_

_"Your money is useless to me, boy," Marvin growled as he clicked the gun.  
_

_"Please!" Scorpius cried, "I'll do anything you want, just let me go!"  
_

_"C'mon kid, don't look at me like I'm a monster," Marvin said caressing his cheek gently, "you're the liability, trying to escape with your... talents, we can't have that now can we? You can't go back to your family, I've told you that a million times. But maybe you don't have to die tonight, if you promise to never try to escape again and then you can stay with me forever."  
_

_Scorpius stopped and forced himself to think. He looked into Marvin's cruel green eyes, whether Marvin was telling the truth or not he wasn't sure. But he was sure he didn't want to live if he had to stay with him forever, never able to see his family again._

_He still didn't want to die though. Especially not there in the middle of the nowhere with the all consuming darkness, not alone by the hand of the man he despised. He was terrified, probably more terrified than he'd ever been in his life but in that instant he found an inner strength inside himself. He let it anchor him, he needed to be strong. He hawked and spat in Marvin's face.  
_

_"You worthless brat!" Marvin yelled furiously smashing the handle of the gun into Scorpius' face.  
_

_Scorpius yelped in pain and was knocked to the ground by the force of the blow, his eye throbbed painfully and he felt blood trickling down and mixing with his tears. Marvin wiped the spit from his face and yanked Scorpius' shoulder, forcing him to his knees with his head facing down into his grave.  
_

_"Have fun in hell, freak."  
_

_Scorpius felt the pressure leave his shoulder a second before he heard a bang. His body jerked in shock it was so loud, an explosion and a thunderclap all in one, it ripped through the silent night with such volume it hurt. Scorpius wasn't hurt though. Marvin's body thudded to the ground beside him, his lifeless eyes open and staring.  
_  
Scorpius woke with a start, panicked and afraid he sat up and looked around to see he was still in his bed in Gryffindor. He never thought he'd be glad to be there but he was. Breathing heavily, he wrapped his arms around his shaking body protectively. He kept telling himself it was over, it was just a dream of a memory. But the bang continued to echo in his mind while Marvin's eyes would gaze accusingly into his soul forever. He slept no more that night.


	9. I: People and Potions

Scorpius sat on the bed for a long time in the darkness, trying not to think about it but he couldn't get it off his mind. A part of him wanted to cry but tears refused to come, he hadn't cried since Marvin died. He didn't even try getting back to sleep, he didn't want to have another nightmare assuming he could even force his eyes to close. He hated remembering.

Subconsciously his hand went to his stinging scarred wrist, despite the fact it was bandaged he rubbed it gently. He wished he was home then, at least the familiarity of his room brought some comfort. Although he rescinded that thought, filled with dread wondering what they'd think of his Gryffindor placement. He wouldn't blame them if they disowned him, he wanted to disown himself at that point.

He was still awake when the sun rose and started streaming through the drapes he kept closed, though he didn't get up. He was still awake when the others started getting up and he heard their voices around him, he still didn't get up. He wasn't really paying attention to what they were saying until he heard his name, it snapped him from his melancholy.

"Should we wake Scorpius up?" Michael's asked sounding concerned.

"Let the spoiled, lazy git sleep," one of the other first years – Angelo Jordan – said in reply, "snob's probably not used to getting up before the morning."

"No need to be rude like that, he's probably just tired from nearly drowning."

"Oh I'm sure he deserved it and there's plenty of reason," the other first year – Reuben Tear – commented darkly, "he's a _Malfoy_."

"So?"

"So you have a lot about the wizarding world," Angel said, "the Malfoys are bad people, he shouldn't even be in our house."

"Well he is in our house and the headmaster said our houses are like are family, you look out for your family."

"He's not _my_ family."

At this Scorpius heard the sound of footsteps, retreating from him and seeming to clamber down the stairs where they faded from hearing entirely. He heard someone – presumably Michael – sigh.

"So what about you, Albus?"

"Wake him, don't wake him up. If he's late, he's late. It's not my problem and it's not yours either," Albus' voice answered indifferently, "I'd stay away from him if I was you, Michael, his family aren't keen on muggle-borns… Just forget him, come on, let's go get some breakfast."

"Okay, in a minute."

Scorpius heard footsteps leaving again, followed by another sigh. He waited and expected for Michael to leave, he heard footsteps that seemed to be pacing before finally the other boy called out.

"Hey Scorpius, wakey wakey!"

"I'm awake."

At his words, the drapes were pulled back and he saw Michael scowling at him. He was now dressed in the Gryffindor colours; they looked incredibly neat in contrast to Michael's tangled mess of auburn hair.

"You heard all that, huh?"

"Yep."

"I'm sure they didn't mean it," Michael offered with a smile that looked forced.

"I'm sure they did."

Michael didn't seem to know what to say to this. Instead he moved away but a moment later returned, now holding a pile of neatly folded Gryffindor clothes that he dumped unceremoniously on Scorpius' lap. Scorpius almost wrinkled his nose, he had been putting off having to wear them.

"Well you might wanna get dressed, wouldn't want to miss your first day of magic school."

"Yes mother," Scorpius commented half-heartedly before sighing, "you really don't need to keep looking out for me, you know?"

"I know. But its really not in my nature," Michael said with a shrug before his grin returned, "so get dressed already, I'll see you downstairs."

Scorpius sighed as the other first year left. He reluctantly dragged himself out of bed and got dressed into the Gryffindor clothes, usually he avoided mirrors but he deliberately went to look at himself when he was done. He looked stupid, he didn't belong in that house or those clothes. The hat had made a terrible mistake, anyone could see it was wrong. He sighed again.

He went over to his nameless owl, it squawked in greeting and he almost mustered a smile. He fed the bird another treat and caressed its beautiful feathers for a moment, putting off having to go and face the world for another minute. The owl was so lucky, he didn't have to worry about any of this like Scorpius did, he was free from all that. He was Free.

"Do you like that Free?" Scorpius commented, testing the name to which the owl gave an approved-sounding squawk, "Free it is then. Take care until I get back, try stay out of trouble."

Free squawked once more, Scorpius gave him one more treat before tearing himself away and heading down the stairs. He tried to psych himself up, he should be excited for his first day of Hogwarts but it was hard to feel so. The only thing that raised his spirits slightly was the hope he might have Defence Against the Dark Arts and get to see Professor Ashain again, he would also head back to the hospital wing the first chance he got to check on Calderon.

As he reached the bottom of the stairs, he did feel slightly better for having goals. However it all flew from his mind in an instant as he tripped, he yelped in surprise as his body jerked forward and he tumbled painfully to the ground. Voices howled with laughter. Scowling, Scorpius got to his feet and turned around to see a few older boys were laughing at him.

"Are you alright?!" Michael asked worriedly racing over to him, Scorpius nodded still watching the boys, "what is wrong with you people? You shouldn't be laughing! He could've been hurt."

"That was the idea," the tallest sneered.

"Wait, did you trip him?!"

"No, I tripped him," one of the others said proudly still smirking, he reminded Scorpius oddly of Albus, "it was just a bit of fun."

"It's not fun to trip people up!"

"Michael, just leave it," Scorpius said pleadingly, he didn't want to make a fuss.

"You could've broken your neck! I will not leave it and neither should you!"

"What are you going to do?" the tall boy asked with a glare, "you're first years, you don't know nothing. And are you really gonna snitch out your own house mates?"

"Well… no, I guess not," Michael muttered, looking down to Scorpius' relief, he didn't want anything to make things worse.

"I thought so."

"But I can do this!"

At this Michael snatched a book off the end table beside him and chucked it at the boys, they all ducked easily and instead it slammed against one of the shelf brackets. The boys howled with laughter, not realizing this.

"That all you got?!" the tall one roared, almost as he'd spoken the shelf gave way and the books it held rained down upon the boys.

"That's all for now!" Michael called triumphantly, the boys however looked angry and started to draw their wands, "run!"

He allowed himself to be dragged away by Michael, they bolted out of the common rooms and ran. He didn't dare look back but he heard the boys chasing after them, he heard one of them yell 'get them!'

They raced down the grand staircase faster than Scorpius had thought himself capable of running but he had a feeling the boys were only getting closer, longer legs tended to mean faster running. They needed a new plan. The staircase they were on started to move, Michael started to slow but Scorpius grabbed him and continued on to get a running start.

He jumped and roughly pulled Michael with him, he heard Michael yelp in surprise before they crashed onto the platform. Scorpius scrambled to look back at the staircase, it was too far out for the boys to jump the gap like they had. They were safe. For now.

"That was freakin' awesome!" Michael burst out laughing in between breaths, "way to go!"

"No," Scorpius told him firmly, "that was not awesome."

"No, it was mental," Rose commented and Scorpius glanced around to see her and a handful of other first years on the platform.

"Why are you running away from my brother anyway?" Albus added disapprovingly.

"Your brother tripped Scorpius down the stairs! And then they were trying to get us!"

"Making a shelf fall on them, might have provoked them slightly," Scorpius pointed out as they got to their feet.

"You have to stand up to bullies."

"My brother isn't a bully!"

"Well he sure was acting like one!"

"He was chasing them," the other first year - Abby Longbottom - pointed out and Albus shot her a dark look, "but I can see how having a shelf fall on you would get that reaction. Mostly I think we should keep going towards the great hall before we have to miss breakfast because you all were arguing."

They unanimously and silently seemed to agree with this and the five of them started walking, Scorpius trailed along behind and glanced back briefly to make sure they had indeed lost the boys. As they walked it dawned on Scorpius that he was walking with the very same people he'd been avoided against, a Potter, a Weasley, a Longbottom and a mudblood. He almost laughed.

It was going to be harder to avoid them considering they were in the same house, Scorpius realized but as no one seemed to be particularly fond of him he didn't think it would be too much of a problem. Except for Michael. Scorpius wasn't quite sure what he should do about him.

"I can't wait for our first lesson," Abby said seeming to be trying to keep the peace between them as they walked, "what do you guys want it to be?"

"Charms," Rose answered immediately, "I hear those lessons are quite practical and I can't wait to try out some spells."

"That does sound fun," Albus agreed, "but it would have to come second to flying, I really want to fly."

"We get flying lessons?!" Michael exclaimed looking psyched as he beamed, "put me down for that! What about you Scorpius?"

"Defense Against the Dark Arts," Scorpius said cautiously and the others looked slightly startled, _had they forgotten he was there? _"its an interesting subject and Professor Ashain is really great."

"Yeah we could use some kickass defense spells."

Scorpius wasn't sure what he'd been expecting but he was relieved that no one said anything bad about his suggestion as they reached the great hall. According to the timetable the first lesson was actually Potions, none of them were particularly enthusiastic about that. With the exception of Michael, who seemed enthusiastic about pretty much every subject.

As they sat down for breakfast, Scorpius noticed the boys from earlier arriving at the great hall. He met their eyes and they glared at him, however they didn't say or do anything and he went back to his plate. His plate that Michael had already buried in food, he rolled his eyes and reluctantly started picking at the food. He was nearly done when something tapped him on the shoulder, he scowled and tensed until he heard them speak.

"Heard you were looking for me, Scor?"

"Calderon!" Scorpius burst out jumping up and turned around to look at the assistant, he was still dressed in muggle clothes and had walking with a stick, his injured wrist was in a sling but otherwise he seemed alright, "you're okay!"

"Of course I'm okay, didn't I tell you I would be?" Calderon replied with a smile that Scorpius returned, genuinely delighted by his recovery, Scorpius could almost have hugged him.

"Yes you did," Scorpius nodded and bite his tongue before asking, "do they know anything else about what happened?"

"Not really, the Driver died so that's kinda jumped priority."

"Dead?!" Scorpius jumped in shock but tried to keep his voice down.

"They say he killed himself. Tragic," Calderon commented distantly, "there was no sign of a struggle, his note said he couldn't live with the guilt that something had happened to the train on his watch. Did he seem depressed or guilt-ridden to you?"

"Not really but I guess he could be good at hiding it... you don't think he killed himself, do you?"

"What does my opinion matter?" Calderon said with a shrug and smirked again seeming to want to change the subject, "I see you got Gryffindor?"

"Yeah," Scorpius said monotonously glanced down disapprovingly at his uniform again.

"You don't seem pleased."

"The hat made a mistake. I don't belong here, Calderon, can't I switch houses?"

"Switch houses?" Calderon repeated before laughing his shrill laugh, "no Scor, if everyone could switch houses if they don't like the one they're in then it would defeat the object of being sorted, would it not?"

"I suppose. I just wish it'd been any other house, I'm not a Gryffindor."

"What makes you say that?"

"Well I'm not an arrogant jerk who bullies people and breaks the rules for one."

"Every house has people like that, trust me on that."

"Well I'm not brave."

"Scor, I've known you less than twenty-four hours and you've shown me more courage than most Gryffindors I've known for seven years," Calderon told him gently, "outnumbered and outexperienced, you still stood up for a complete stranger, even after they offered you a truce. When you heard the train was going to crash, you ran to help not to run away. You jumped out of a freakin' train in the middle of nowhere in the middle of night to look for me - that was also breaking the rules I might add. And after all that, by all accounts you still had the courage to walk through those doors and stand up to Pippy."

"I guess, but I was just doing the right thing and I was still scared when I did those things."

"But you still did them, you overcame your fear to do what you thought was right. Any idiot can do something he's not afraid of, true bravery is not letting your fear stop you. You _are_ brave, you may not consider it your best or most defining trait but the hat clearly did."

"You said I'd make a good Hufflepuff."

"And so you would have, do you really think people _only_ have the traits of the house they're placed in? No! Your house really isn't as important as people make it out to be, it doesn't give you an advantage or disadvantage or change who you are. Just try your best, its all we can do at the end of the day... Do you feel any better?"

"A bit."

"Well you really have to get class now but if you want to talk about some more about this or anything, my door's always open, okay?" Calderon offered with a slightly smile that Scorpius reluctantly returned.

"Thanks. And you know for saving our lives and everything."

"Don't mention it. Now go to Potions."

"How do you know I've got Potions?"

"Because I'm the one who has to work out all those stupid schedules."

"Can you take us to Potions?" Scorpius asked, partially because he didn't know where he was going, partially because he liked the assistant and partially because he was still very aware of the boys who'd tripped him.

"Can I take..." Calderon started to repeat and sighed, "alright but be quick, Pippy wants me to do stuff."

"Don't you get a day off after yesterday?"

"A day off?" Calderon repeated and laughed his shrill laugh once more, "pfft! Too much to do, what would these people do without me? I could have lost my arm and leg and Pippy would still be expecting me to work. Alright! Any first years who want to know the way to Potions, follow me now!"

Calderon yelled the last sentence louder and threw his injured arm into the air, magic shot up into the air like a firework that settled into a bubbling cauldron. Calderon still winced as he brought his arm back down, putting it back into the sling and with a dramatic twirl started walking with a noticeable limp that he hadn't had before. Scorpius hurried after him, as did plenty of other first years.

"Shouldn't you take it easy while you're recovering?" Scorpius questioned worriedly but Calderon only laughed again and almost defiantly flicked his wrist, lights started dancing around the students following. Scorpius gave up.

He just followed Calderon who continued speaking to the crowd, giving them tips on remembering the castle's layout and not getting lost. He also talked about the castle itself, the architecture, the history, the founders of Hogwarts. Everything he said seemed backed up by the dancing lights that formed into random illustrations and reconstructions of what he was talking about, Scorpius saw every single face alert and interested in what Calderon was saying. It was actually a pleasant walk to the Dungeons, Scorpius was disappointed when they reached their Potions classroom.

"And here we are!" Calderon announced as they arrived turning round to face the class with a smile, "enjoy your first day, best of luck to you all! Take care Scor."

"Bye," Scorpius offered as Calderon stalked off and everyone else excitedly bundled into the classroom.

He found it cold in the dungeon but Professor Slughorn was amicable enough. Scorpius listened attentively to everything he said while Michael, seated beside him, scribbled almost every word as if afraid of missing something as Professor Slughorn gave them an introduction to Potions before they moved onto practical work as he had them make a potion that turned the drinkers' hair blue temporarily.

Scorpius didn't think it was too difficult, it was basically following instructions, just making sure you were focused enough to get it right. He let his thoughts wander a bit, thinking about what Calderon had said about the Conductor killing himself. The more he thought about it the more it seemed odd, Peter had been quite vocal about not wanting to die and wishing Professor Ashain would hurry up. Had he really gone from wanting to live to being consumed by guilt so fast? Scorpius didn't know much about suicidal people but it seemed unlikely to him, not unless something else had happened. But then if Peter hadn't killed himself then who had? And why?

He was dragged from his thoughts by Michael needed help, the mudblood seemed to be struggling. He was fairly clueless on what the required ingredients actually were and kept getting them mixed up, Scorpius and Rose - who sat on Michael's other side - constantly were stopping to help him. It was tedious but but it seemed wrong to just let him fail.

By the end of the lesson the potions was complete and Professor Slughorn insisted they all drink their potions to see if they had worked, adding comfortingly that if their hair hadn't returned to normal by the next lesson they would make an anti-dote. They all downed their potions and the Professor went around checking all of them, apparently the shade of blue was indicative of how correct the potion was.

Scorpius saw that there were actually several different shades of blue around, varying from an incredibly pale pastel blue to an almost navy, Abby Longbottom had managed to make her hair purple and a first year from Ravenclaw now had bright orange hair whereas at the start of the lesson it had been jet-black. His own hair was now a sky-blue color, a color shared only by Rose and Kyle's brother.

"Now Miss Weasley, Mr Malfoy and Mr Nott," Professor Slughorn said beaming, "I would like to congratulate the three of you, for you three alone have managed the perfect shade and for each of you I grant five points to your houses. For the rest of you, an impressive effort and you did all succeed to a certain extent. Except for you my boy, I don't actually know how you managed to get orange but that is all for today."


	10. I: Talent

Potions had been a double-lesson, meaning they now had a lunch break, Scorpius opted to deny this and slipped away from the other students before any of them noticed. It was for the best to, he decided, he'd seen the way Rose and Kyle's brother Mr Nott had looked at him and had no desire for a run in with either. The second Michael turned his head, Scorpius bolted.

He figured it'd be best to arrive early for his next lesson and just wait there, it also seemed like a good idea to get his Transfiguration books from his dormitory when people were less likely to be there. Sure enough the common room was deserted, he preferred it that way, mindful of the earlier incident. He quickly got the books and headed off to Transfiguration, he did get a bit lost at one point but the portraits were kind enough to steer him in the right direction.

He arrived at the Transfiguration classroom triumphantly and stood idly by the door, it hadn't been five minutes before a woman carrying a pile of books rounded the corner and headed towards him. Scorpius recognized her from the feast, she'd been the one talking with Professors Hagrid and Ashain.

"You realize this is a time for lunch, Mr Malfoy?" she pointed out peering at him over her spectacles.

"I realize I'm not hungry," Scorpius said carefully as he noticed her struggling with the books, "would you like some help with those books, Professor?"

"Hmm? Oh yes, that's kind of you to offer."

On that note she handed him half of the books she was carrying, he managed not to wince at how the weight aggravated his wrist and followed her into the classroom. The professor walked over to her desk and placed the books on it, Scorpius followed suite then stood there unsurely.

"Thank you and you may as well take a seat now, no point standing in uncomfortable silence for the entire break."

"Thank you, professor."

Scorpius took a seat at the front of the class and laid out his Transfiguration books neatly on the desk, the professor on the other hand took out her wand. For a brief moment of panic, Scorpius thought she intended to hex him but she waved it at the books on her desk starting moving into empty spaces on the shelves by the wall.

"I see you were quite successful in brewing your first potion," the professor commented, pausing on the last book to nod at his hair.

"I did okay," Scorpius shrugged uncomfortably, he didn't want to make a big deal out of it.

"Good to see after your eventful arrival that it hasn't impeded your ability to learn."

"Yes ma'am."

"Interesting house placement, how are you liking being a Gryffindor?"

"Why is that relevant?"

"I am the Head of Gryffindor house," the professor pointed out.

Scorpius blinked in slight surprise, she was Professor McGonagall. He did know of her, she'd taught his parents as well as Professor Ashain and had been the former Headmistress, the one Calderon had mentioned as hiring him. He didn't know why it surprised him that she would be his Transfiguration teacher, or rather the way she didn't look down on him as he'd expected.

"You're not much of a talker, are you? Marius did mention that."

"Marius?" Scorpius repeated and vaguely recalled Calderon introducing it as his first name, "Calderon mentioned me? What else did he say?"

"Nothing bad, I assure you," the professor pointed out folding her arms, "no need to look so horrified. He spoke highly of you, mentioned you had talent and were one to watch."

"He was exaggerating."

"So you didn't defeat an elder student in a duel using non-verbal magic?"

"Well… I did but… I didn't… he helped me," Scorpius answered lamely.

"Non-verbal magic is not easy to do, we do not teach it here until sixth year. It is difficult, it requires intense concentration and mental discipline. And regardless of what Marius said to you, it was still you who performed the magic. Although I must point out, Hogwarts does not condone fighting."

"I don't want to make a fuss about it. it really wasn't that big of a deal I did the same thing in the lake to chase off those things attacking me, I've gotten good at moving things with my mind anyway even before I had a wand. Watch."

Scorpius swallowed slightly nervously, it had been three months since he'd done it after all but then again he had opened Free's cage. He focused on the final book on the desk, willing it to move and to his relief, it obediently obeyed and rose into the air.

He stared unblinkingly at the floating book, concentrating as it started to hover over to the bookshelf where it turned and slotted itself into place. He allowed himself to blink and looked back to Professor McGonagall, who was watching him carefully. He started to wonder whether he'd done something wrong before she spoke.

"Most children do not have such a degree of control over their magic at your age, it is an unusual talent. It will be interesting to see how you do in today's lesson."

After that the conversation lapsed then drifted back onto the subject of their lesson, the professor pointed out while he was there he could help her prepare for it. Professor McGonagall gave him some matchsticks to hand out, placing one on each desk so every student would have one while she wrote somethings on the board about Transfiguration. He sat back down at his desk while the professor took an apple and sandwich from her desk, clearly intending to take lunch there. He flicked through some of the books, it was something to do and the book was actually fairly interesting.

"So Mr Malfoy, you never answered by question about Gryffindor," Professor McGonagall commented after awhile and he thought of the most polite thing to say in reply.

"It's alright," he answered carefully, he didn't want to offend her.

"Is that so?"

"Yes."

"Then why is it you'd rather spend lunch going hungry in a classroom with me, rather than eating with your fellow students?"

"I'm just not hungry. I had breakfast and a big dinner last night, lunch isn't that important. And what's wrong with spending time with teachers?"

"No one is giving you trouble, are they?"

"No," Scorpius lied but he got the impression she didn't believe him.

"Well if anyone, of any house, does then tell me. As your head of house your wellbeing is my responsibility."

"I will, professor," Scorpius lied again but this time she seemed not to notice and was content with his answer.

It wasn't too long before the other students started arriving, the more studious ones first out of fear of being late. No one sat near him, he wasn't sure how he felt about that but he was glad Mr Nott was nowhere near him until Michael arrived, he didn't hesitate to come over and sit beside Scorpius however. He even commented how relieved he was that Scorpius was alright and chastised him for missing lunch. Rose, Abby and Albus were much more hesitant but the four were slightly late - Michael said they'd gotten lost - and there wasn't many seats left, Rose shot him a glare before taking a seat beside her cousin. After a few more stragglers arrived, the lesson began.

The structure was virtually the same as Potions; Professor McGonagall spoke an introduction to the subject, Michael took note on everything again beside him and then they moved onto the practical. Using a spell to turn a matchstick into a needle. Scorpius found himself having little success. He looked around and saw no one was having much luck with it, he saw only matchsticks and students furiously trying to turn them. Michael seemed to think saying the spell louder may make it work somehow. It didn't.

"Michael, saying the spell louder isn't working," Scorpius decided to point out, as politely as he could, before he went deaf.

"The tip will go silver and pointed but it doesn't like staying that way," Michael said defensively, "I'd like to see you try it."

Michael's eyes turned expectantly to him, just as Professor McGonagall took that moment to walk in front of them, also stopping and watching him. Scorpius took a deep breath and looked at the matchstick, there had to be more to it then waving your wand aimless and saying a few words. _Focus_, he told himself as something clicked in his mind. He raised his wand but instead of trying again, he concentrated the way he had with nonverbal magic but instead of willing it to move, he willed it to change as he said the spell.

It worked. Before his eyes he saw the matchstick thinning and turning silver, the point becoming sharp as a blade. He heard Michael gasp in amazement while the professor congratulated him, he heard a strangled cry of frustration from Rose and looked over to see her looking more angrier than ever at him for reasons that were lost on him. By the end of the lesson no one else had managed it, or if they did it was fleeting and turned back by the time the caster had finished speaking.

"Ow!" Michael complained as he pricked himself on Scorpius' needle, he raised an eyebrow at the mudblood, "testing it, you know to make sure its really a needle and damn that thing is sharp!"

Scorpius just shook his head as they headed for their next lesson, History of Magic. Some students - especially Michael - were amazed the class was being taught by a ghost, the amazement soon died when they realized how boring Professor Binns actually was.

By the end of the lesson, Scorpius saw some of them were actually asleep and Michael alone was still smiling and eagerly writing down everything, the mudblood had to be the only person in the history of Hogwarts who could have found the droning speech interesting. Scorpius didn't mind it as much as some, it wasn't interesting but there were worse ways to spend an hour. It helped knowing afterwards was the final, and most looked forward to, lesson of the day: Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"I've heard people say History of Magic is boring but they were underexaggerating!" Albus exclaimed to Michael as they headed out of the class.

"How would you know it was boring? You were asleep!" Michael pointed out before grinning, "I, for one, found it fascinating."

"You find _everything_ fascinating, you thought owls delivering the mail at breakfast fascinating!"

"No, I thought that was cool. There's a difference and how can you guys not find that class fascinating? We were being taught by a freakin' ghost!"

"Let's just get to the next class, okay?" Rose said in an irritated tone before her cousin could reply, "Michael, the novelty will wear off when you get used to everything. Albus, just because the class is boring, it doesn't mean you should sleep through it unless you want to fail. Do you want to fail? Failure isn't fun!"

This seemed to silence the other two boys and Scorpius just tried to drift away from the group a bit, he didn't want to be talking to any of those people. He blamed Michael, why the mudblood insisted on sitting with him and walking with him, he had no idea. He was pleased when they made it to Defense Against the Dark Arts and Professor Ashain ushered them inside.

"How's your first day going?" Scorpius asked of the professor, giving him a smile as he paused by the doorway to talk to him.

"Not too bad at all. How's it going for you?" the professor answered returning his smile.

"It's alright."

"Alright?" Michael commented at his shoulder, "he's the only one who turned a matchstick into a needle! And he won five points for getting the blue-hair potion perfect."

"Wow five points plus the... however many Calderon gave you. Not doing too badly, are you Scorpius?" Professor Ashain said as his smile widened, Scorpius shrugged nervously, "very good. Now go take a seat you both, let's see how you do now."

Scorpius nodded obediently and went into the class, he saw the only seats left were near the front which would have been good if not for the fact they were beside Albus and in front of Mr Nott. Reluctantly he and Michael took their seats and Professor Ashain moved to the front of the class, introducing himself and his subject the way all teachers had so far.

He moved onto the practical faster than the other lessons though, telling them they'd be learning the spell to light their wands. Scorpius sat up straight, even before the professor demonstrated it, he recognized it as the spell he'd used the previous night. A potion to change your hair color blue and a spell to turn matches to needles were one thing, learning something that was of actual use seemed more interesting by far.

"I guarantee you that by the end of the lesson every last person in this room will be able to do this spell," Professor Ashain continued brightly as he magically closed the windows with a flick of his wand, "every one of you has the power to and its a simple enough spell that all of you can master it."

"What's a stupid light got to do with Defense Against the Dark Arts?" Nott asked rudely and disinterested.

"Firstly, if you have a question then put your hand up," the professor answered with a disapproving scowl, "and to answer it, it is a useful spell. It can be used to repel malevolent spirits and gytrashes for one and for another, it is much easier to fight something if you can see it. Now everyone have a go."

Scorpius looked around and saw people did seem to be finding it easier than Transfiguration, no one had done it first try but there were plenty of bursts of light at attempts and Rose had made hers but as a vibrant scarlet light. Scorpius gave it a go, focusing much the same way he had in Transfiguration and said the incantation. In response got a burst of bright light that remained on. He heard Rose give another frustrated grunt, glare at him and trying again with the same result as him this time.

"What is her problem?" Scorpius wondered aloud and to his surprise Albus answered.

"Her dad told her to beat you at everything, its driving her nuts that she hasn't beaten you at anything."

"We both did equally well on the potion."

"My cousin is a perfectionist."

Despite himself Scorpius felt kinda bad, it wasn't like he was trying to beat her and if it was really that important to her than he didn't mind. Even if she was a Weasley, she was still a person and if it meant so much to her then so be it. He said the spell again, this time deliberately not trying so hard and the light at the end of his wand died in an instant.

"Guess I didn't get it after all, oh no this is hard," Scorpius said as loudly as he dared but enough that Rose heard, Albus and Michael gave him an odd look.

He didn't try again for awhile. He didn't have to wait too long though, a few minutes later he heard Rose delightedly exclaiming that she'd done it, he glanced back at the beaming girl with the bright light around her, she shot him an immensely smug look and he went back to his own desk.

"_Lumos_," Scorpius spoke the spell and his wand lit up again, unwavering, undying light like before.

"You did that on purpose, didn't you?" Michael asked in a whisper, "you did the spell first time and you pretended to fail on purpose."

"No I didn't," Scorpius lied but neither boy seemed to believe him.

"Yes you did. Why would you do that for my cousin? Just because you're in Gryffindor, it doesn't mean we're friends, it doesn't change who are parents are."

"I'm not stupid, Albus. I know I don't belong in Gryffindor just as much as everyone else does and I know none of us will be friends, nor do I want us to be."

"Then why do it?!"

"Because if you can do something nice for someone without cost to yourself then you should," Scorpius answered awkwardly with a shrug, "and you know why not? I don't want to make someone miserable just because I can do something, its not right."

"A possibly decent Malfoy, well that's new," Albus muttered going back to his casting without another word, Michael just looked between them confused.

As the lesson continued, more and more people had successfully done the spell. Scorpius was starting to think Professor Ashain's claim, that everyone would have done it by the end of the lesson, might actually hold true. A few students in the back were helped by the professor, everyone else seemed to have done it except for Michael beside him.

"Do you have any magical talent at all?" a voice sneered from behind them and Scorpius groaned inwardly as Nott leaned forward, "are you a squib?"

"What's a squib?" Michael wondered.

"You don't even know what a squib is?" Nott questioned as his nearby friends howled with laughter, "guess you're a muggle then, just accidentally tripped and fell into Hogwarts, is that it?"

"No! I _am_ a wizard, Calderon told me so."

"Calderon's a lunatic, he made a mistake letting you in."

"Hey!" Scorpius snapped defensively turning round to face him as anger flooded through him, "don't you dare insult Calderon! Don't you dare!"

"I wasn't talking to you right now, water boy."

"Why? Too afraid to when we're on solid ground?"

"No," Nott scoffed but his eyes darted around nervously, "I'm not my brother, I'm not afraid of you or that madman."

"Isn't that exactly what your brother said before I flung him into the middle of next week?" Scorpius retorted, lowering his tone threateningly and pointing his wand at the Slytherin, Nott's eyes bulged, "I don't care that we're in class, insult Calderon one more time and I swear on my soul that you'll regret it."

Nott didn't say anything, he swallowed ever so slowly and leaned back in his seat. His friends both looked at him with puzzle expressions, much the same way Albus and Michael looked. Clearly the incident on the train was not something Kyle bragged about, Scorpius had no intention of either. He felt his anger slipping, like water through his fingers.

"Thought so," Scorpius muttered turning back to his desk.

"I get the feeling I'm missing something," Michael commented slowly.

"Get back to your spell."

Professor Ashain came over a few minutes after that and helped Michael with the spell, Scorpius noticed plenty of people rolling their eyes at having to wait for just one more person. He seemed to notice this and instead left Michael to go to the front of the class, he announced they were going to go on a scavenger hunt in the room. They were only allowed to use the light of their wands to see the list of items as well as when searching for the items, the first person to get all things won a chocolate frog and five points for the house. The class cheered right up at this, the professor handed out the lists and told them to go as he turned out the lamps.

Scorpius reluctantly headed about the task with less enthusiasm than everyone else, not paying much attention and feeling bad for Michael who remained seated while Professor Ashain helped him get the spell, guiding his arm movement gently. He did succeed, about five minutes before someone announced they'd done it. It was actually a Hufflepuff who Scorpius didn't know the name of who won, after that it was class dismissed. Everyone else filtered out and Scorpius didn't fail to notice how Nott glared at him as he left, Scorpius began to wonder if he'd overreacted slightly but he dismissed the thought. He'd done the right thing.


	11. I: Investigation

As everyone else left the classroom, Scorpius hung back. He wanted to talk to Professor Ashain and it was better than the alternative of going with everyone else back to the common room, he assumed that's where they'd go anyway as dinner wasn't until later on and at the very least they'd probably want to drop off their books before doing something. He wanted to put off going there, afraid of running into those boys again, what were you supposed to do when your own house was against you? Scorpius went over and offered to help the professor clean up the classroom, the professor seemed grateful for the help as they gathered up the scavenged items and lists.

"There we go," Professor Ashain said brightly when they were done, practically collapsing into his chair as he let out a relieved breath, "first day done."

"One day down, seven years to go," Scorpius pointed out with a heavy sigh.

"Ah don't be so glum, its not really that bad here is it?"

"I suppose…" Scorpius answered and decided to change the subject, "you know yesterday how I fell into the lake?"

"Yes."

"When I was on the shore I found Dumbledore's tomb and there was this weird thing I saw, I wondered if you'd ever seen or heard of anything like it."

"You're going to have to be more specific than 'a weird thing' I'm afraid," Professor Ashain pointed out and Scorpius shifted nervously, almost regretting his decision to bring it up.

"It was… like a shadow but not like normal shadows, it was like a figure of shadow and it had eyes, pitch black eyes and-"

"Hey Ticcy," Calderon's voice interrupted and Scorpius nearly jumped as the assistant strode into the room, an unusually grim look on his face, "and Scor, I was about to go looking for you too. You're both needed."

"Why?"

"Aurors from the Ministry are investigating what happened with the train, they think some seriously dark magic was involved and they need to talk to us."

"But I don't know anything, I didn't do anything," Scorpius pointed out as a feeling of terror gripped him.

"You were there though, you saw what happened," Professor Ashain said as he stood and walked over to Calderon, Scorpius forced his legs to follow, "you're not in trouble, they're just trying to figure out what happened and who caused it to make sure it doesn't happen again."

"What he said," Calderon nodded and started leading the way, "it'll be fine so come on everybody."

Scorpius couldn't stop himself feeling afraid, he just hung his head and walked mutely along, worries bouncing around inside his brain. What if the Auror's blamed him for what happened on the train because his father and grandfather had been Death Eaters? Harry Potter was the Head Auror, what if he held a grudge? Or worse, what if they knew what had happened to Marvin? What if they dragged him to Azkaban and locked him up forever? He didn't think he could survive that, he didn't want to be a prisoner again. Never again.

"Can you two at least try to look like you're not heading to your execution?" Professor Ashain asked abruptly jolting Scorpius from his misery, "Auror's are on our side. I used to be an Auror, they're good people."

"I know," Scorpius pointed out.

"Yeah, obviously," Calderon added while the professor looked between them both with a bemused expression.

"Then why do you both look so concerned?"

"I don't wanna go to Azkaban," Calderon answered instantly and Scorpius joined the professor in blinking in surprise.

"Why on Earth would they send you to Azkaban?! You _saved_ everyone!"

"I don't know, my parents used to threaten to have me locked up there a lot when I couldn't control my magic so good."

"Calderon, people don't get sent to Azkaban for that."

"Really?"

"Yes really!"

"Are you sure?" Scorpius asked worriedly and the professor looked exasperated as he glanced between them.

"Of course I'm sure! If they put away everyone who couldn't control their magic as a child the there'd be no witches or wizards left!"

"What about if you're related to someone who was a Death Eater? Do they put you in Azkaban for that?"

"That's a good question," Calderon said in agreement but the professor rolled his eyes.

"No! Of course they don't, if they did that then I would be in Azkaban!"

"Maybe it's a new policy they intend to start now?"

"Calderon!"

"What if someone made you commit a crime?" Scorpius questioned.

"Merlin's ashes, no! No! No! And no! They don't put people in Azkaban for accidentally losing control of your magic. They don't put people in Azkaban for being related to Death Eaters, or any other dark wizards for that matter. They don't put people in Azkaban who are forced to do crimes against their will. They don't put people in Azkaban for any reason other than the person very knowingly and very willingly commits an _actual_ crime themselves," Professor Ashain explained sounding extremely frustrated but Scorpius relaxed a bit and noticed Calderon seemed to feel the same, "is that all on ridiculous insane reasons for being sent to Azkaban that you two are paranoid about?! Scorpius I can understand but how old are you, Calderon, seriously?"

"No, that's sort of it."

"Yeah, that's all, Professor."

"Good!"

"Wait," Scorpius added, wondering whether he was overstepping his bounds a bit, "who are you related to that was a Death Eater?"

"My elder brother," Professor Ashain answered and his frustration was replaced by sadness in an instant, "he's dead now."

"Oh… I'm sorry," Scorpius said awkwardly, not quite sure what to say to that but the professor seemed to want to change the subject as fast as possible.

"And in answer to your earlier query, no, I do not know of any shadow beings."

"Shadow beings?" Calderon repeated, followed by his shrill maniacal laughter before he sang, "anyone want to dance with the shadows? Anyone dare to take on the night? Can you stay sane as you stare down their gaze? Do you still want to do what is right? You'll lose your soul if you let them take hold, Never again shall you walk in the light."

"I wouldn't quit your day job," Professor Ashain told him with a scowl, "I would work on a less demented laugh though and what were you singing?"

"Just a children's rhyme about shadows."

"Its a creepy rhyme."

Calderon shrugged at this and they carried on in silence, Scorpius put the shadow out of his mind. He had just been seeing things in the dark. Calderon led them to a room he hadn't been to before, he thought it was near the great hall but Scorpius wasn't nearly confident enough about the layout to be sure.

He couldn't help but tense as he followed the two adults inside, there were already four men there. Varanian he recognized immediately, although now the headmaster had almost shoulder length black hair. The other three were strangers, he guessed they were the Aurors.

From the shock of red hair on one, he assumed it was Rose's dad or some other Weasley but he was fairly sure her dad was the Auror, the one who wanted his daughter to beat him at everything. Another had untidy black hair and even though he wore glasses, Scorpius saw the emerald eyes beneath, he had to be the famous Harry Potter. The third was younger with sandy hair and good looks, Scorpius had no idea who he was.

"So how do you want to this, Mr Potter?" Varanian asked immediately, confirming Scorpius' suspicions about the black haired man's identity, "each of you takes one of them for questioning? It would be faster."

"In a rush are we, Headmaster?" the sandy-haired man answered with an eyebrow raised.

"Marius has things to do. As I'm sure Ashain and Malfoy do, I'd rather not take up too much of their time. But if it really is important all three of you are there to interview each separately than I ask you do Marius first, he's wasted enough time being injured over this already."

"We can hear you, y'know?"

"Silence Marius. So what would you like to do, Mr Potter?"

"It's alright, Headmaster. We can each question one of them at the same time," Harry Potter said and Scorpius managed not to flinch as the Head Auror's eyes rested on him, "Mr Malfoy, would you like to come with me?"

_No, _Scorpius thought but his head nodded politely and he followed the man into a side room. It was only a small room, he saw a desk with two chairs and an odd assortment of things scattered around the room. Harry Potter took a seat at the desk and motioned for Scorpius to sit in the chair, reluctantly he did so and dropped his gaze to the floor. He didn't think it was a good sign that the man had specifically wanted to speak to him, as Head Auror it seemed more logical for him to want to speak to one of the adults.

"So you got put in Gryffindor?" Mr Potter said and Scorpius looked up in confusion, not understanding how it was relevant the man was watching him with an odd expression, "same house as my sons."

"Yes, sir."

"What happened to your wrist?"

"Nothing," Scorpius answered quickly and snatched his injured wrist to him, his minute of panic faded as he realized Mr Potter was probably referring to the bandage but he still didn't like people picking up on it, "its nothing to do with what happened on the train. Aren't you supposed to be asking questions about that?"

"I was trying to build report first, you seemed nervous and it is not my intention to make you uncomfortable," Mr Potter explained with a brief smile that didn't touch his eyes, "okay then so tell me what happened."

Scorpius gave his account of what happened, occasionally being stopped when Mr Potter wanted more detail about something. When he was done, Mr Potter asked him to wait there for a moment and left. Scorpius didn't like waiting. A clock in the room had an incredibly loud ticking noise, it just reminded him of how slowly time was going by.

Finally Scorpius decided he'd had enough, he would go and see what was taking Mr Potter so long. He got up and headed for the door, he'd opened it just a crack before he heard voices and froze. He hadn't expected that. He knew he should go back inside the room, he _knew_ it but curiosity got the better of him.

"With all due respect that doesn't answer my question, Mr Potter," Varanian was saying, "I want to know whether there's a viable threat to the security of this school"

"As I've said, we can't be sure of anything yet," Mr Potter replied, "but the damage to the tracks, or at least the destruction of the aqueduct, was caused by fiendfyre. It's dangerous dark magic-"

"I know perfectly well what it is! Some dark wizard very deliberately targeted the train, its tracks and its students. I need the culprit caught, preferably before they make an attack on the school. Arrest Draco Malfoy."

"Why do you think Malfoy is behind it?"

"Isn't it obvious? 'Beware the coming of the son' clearly he was referring to his son, Scorpius, or is it really just a coincidence he was caught up in the events?"

"So Draco Malfoy warned us to beware his son, _after_ putting him on a train that he tried to derail?"

"Maybe he did that to throw suspicion off himself? And had a plan to save Scorpius the whole time?"

"Interesting theory, Headmaster Varanian."

"At least I have one," Varanian snapped sounding angry, "I don't like the safety of my students threatened and I would have thought you wouldn't take too kindly to your sons lives being threatened."

"I don't, I want to find out who did this just as much as you but random, unfounded accusations do nothing."

"Take Scorpius with you, use the truth serum on him or just lock him up until Draco confesses."

"We don't usually do that to eleven year old children!" Mr Potter protested sounding horrified, "we don't use truth serum and we certainly don't use children to force people to confess, odds are they'd confess anyway just to protect their child."

"Oh please, Scorpius has a level of control over his magic already that hasn't been seen since Voldemort was his age. If that's not a sign he's evil and destined for dark things, then I don't know what is."

Scorpius backed away from the door in horror, he fled back to his seat breathing heavily. He couldn't get Varanian's words out of his head, they replayed over and over and louder and louder until he was screaming. He flinched as the door opened, half expecting to be dragged away but Mr Potter came and sat down perfectly calmly as if nothing had happened.

"Sorry about that," Mr Potter began in an ordinary tone and another short-lived smile. Scorpius didn't return it.

"Can I go now? Please?"

"As soon as you take a look at this, I just wanted to know if this is the symbol in the sky you saw?"

At this he offered Scorpius a photograph, it was the symbol the figure had shot into the sky, the skeletal snake with the forked tongue sticking out, only this time it was on the wall and quite clearly in blood. Scorpius was once again struck by familiarity, he stared at it for awhile, desperately trying to place it but he couldn't.

"Is that the symbol?"

"Yes... why is it in blood?"

"We've seen it a few times, more recently of late. At scenes of crimes done with dark magic, we think its the symbol for some kind of dark gang."

"I hope you get them," Scorpius whispered as Mr Potter gently took the photograph from him.

"We will. You can go now, thank you for your time."

Scorpius nodded politely and hurried from the room, no one said anything to him as he left quickly although Varanian's eyes didn't leave his face. It reminded him of what he'd said and once more the headmaster's words came to his mind, he walked faster as the words got louder, he just wanted it to shut up. He was running by the time he got to the grand staircase, barely registering the odd looks he was getting as he ran. He stuttered over the password and stumbled into the common rooms.

"Hey Malfoy," one of the bullies from earlier sneered, "have a fun day."

"I'm not in the mood, leave me alone," Scorpius said, not even looking at the speaker as he headed for the steps to his dormitory only for the tallest to step in front of the doorway, "please move."

"I don't think so."

"I said please! What do you want from me?!"

"How about a dance?" the boy said with a smirk as he drew his wand.

Scorpius backed away nervously and saw his friends were now surrounding him, wands drawn ominously but he didn't draw his, he didn't want to fight. He just wanted to be left alone while he was upset and reeling from the news Varanian thought he was destined to be the next He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Was that really too much to ask to not-cry in peace for awhile?

Potter was the first to do it, he said a spell and aimed his wand at Scorpius' feet. Immediately he jumped as if burned from the intense heat on his feet, the boys laughed and the tall one used the same spell again. Again. And again. And again. Whether he tried to jump to dodge the spell or jumped from the painful heat it created under his feet, it amused them and before long more Gryffindors had surrounded them, joining in at laughing at the dancing Malfoy. He wasn't sure how long it went on for but his feet were searing with pain before long.

"Hey!" a girls voice called out and they immediately stopped, Scorpius fell to his knees and looked up to see Molly Weasley striding over to them from the entrance, "give the kid a break, its his first day and we're in the _same_ house if you hadn't noticed."

"He's a Malfoy."

"Think Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny will care who he is, James, if I owl them to say you're picking on first years on their first day? Not the best way to start the new year."

James Potter did look slightly abashed and ever so reluctantly he and his friends wandered away, the crowd slowly dispersed leaving Scorpius alone with Molly. To his surprise she offered him a hand up, he nervously took it and tried not to wince at how it hurt his feet to stand on them.

"Th-Thanks you," Scorpius told her awkwardly, for some reason his tongue didn't seem to be working but she gave him a soft smile regardless, "g-guess we're even now, huh?"

"I guess we are," Molly said letting go of his hand, "and... you know I don't think anyone's said it yet, but welcome to Gryffindor, Scorpius. Take care."

He nervously returned her smile before she walked away, back over to a cluster of girls that he assumed were her friends. Shaking his head he trudged up the stairs on his battered feet, he briefly stroked Free before kicking off his shoes and collapsing onto the bed. He closed the drapes around him but he could still hear the other Gryffindor's laughing at him, he could still hear Varanian's words and as he tried to squeeze shut his eyes, he was greeted only by the bloody snake symbol. He pulled the pillow over his head. He wished he could cry.


	12. I: Can't

Scorpius lay there in misery, he wasn't sure how long but he didn't move, fighting for tears that wouldn't come. He didn't feel like moving. He didn't want to be evil, it wasn't even his fault he'd gotten so good at using his magic. He didn't want to be in Gryffindor, it wasn't even his decision what house to be in. He didn't want to get picked on. _You have to be really evil for your own house to hate you like that_, his mind told him and he pulled the pillow down harder, he wished his mind would shut up. _  
_

"Scorpius!" Michael's voice called, shattering the silence as his footsteps clonked up the stairs and he heard the drapes being pulled back, "Scorpius! Are you okay? I heard about what happened."

"Leave me alone," Scorpius pleaded glumly not bothering to get his out from under the pillow, "please Michael."

"Do you want to come with me and we tell one of the teachers?"

"No."

"Do you want me to tell one of the teacher's for you?"

"No."

"You seem to know Professor Ashain, I'm sure he would-"

"No!"

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No!"

"Do you want to do something to take your mind off it?"

"NO!" Scorpius snapped, finally pulling his head to look at the anxious boy, "I just want to be alone right now."

"You know I used to get bullied... a lot," Michael told him hesitantly looking at the ground, "I know what its like. I'll leave you alone but if you change your mind or you need anything then just ask, okay?"

"Okay, okay. Now _go_."

Finally the stupid mudblood felt him alone, Scorpius sighed as he heard Michael's footsteps retreating down the stairs. Irritably he closed the drapes shut again and flung his head back onto the pillow, at that moment he would be quite happy if the pillow swallowed him up and he didn't have to deal with everything.

A squawk from Free reminded him of his family, his home. His parents had been reluctant to send him to Hogwarts in the first place. Maybe it was because they did know that something would go wrong on the train? _NO, _Scorpius told himself firmly, cursing Varanian for putting suck sick thoughts in his head.

His father would never do that, Scorpius knew he felt terrible about his actions as a Death Eater, there was no way he was capable of trying to murder hundreds of children, including his own son. He didn't know much but he knew his father hadn't killed Dumbledore like he'd been supposed to, if he wouldn't kill one man then it made sense that he wouldn't kill anyone now. Scorpius thought it did anyway. His dad may not be a saint but he was not a murderer and he was not as bad as everyone made him out to be.

Carefully Scorpius pulled out his trunk and retrieved the pictures he'd taken from his room, looking at the pictures of his dad. Him and his dad after he'd been let fly, that one he'd packed just yesterday morning. Him and his dad at his first Quidditch match when he'd been but four, in a skybox, he vaguely recalled he'd kept running to the edge to get a better view and in the picture his dad was pulling him protectively back. There was another of him at age nine at another Quidditch match, this time holding the signed Golden Snitch by the England Seeker who'd caught it and won the world cup, his father stood behind him laughing as Scorpius had declared one day he would be the England Seeker winning the world cup.

He shook his head at his younger self, had he really been so naive and stupid just two years ago? He did use to like Quidditch though, he couldn't muster the same enthusiasm he'd once had, in fact it was stupid to get so invested in a game. Did it actually matter who won? Life was serious, games were for children. He had another picture of them at a Quidditch game, this time with Yip but he pushed aside the two Quidditch pictures and moved onto the other photographs.

He held the only one that he had of his baby sister, she'd been alive less than a day but still he loved her. She was such a fragile, tiny baby, held protectively in their father's arms. In the photo she opened her eyes slowly and gazed up at her daddy with silvery eyes, in response he smiled weakly back and she gently shut her eyes again almost as if comforted. Scorpius wasn't quite sure why she'd died, he'd heard the doctors saying she was sick a lot but not specifically with what. Then again they'd also kept insisting it wasn't serious and she'd be okay, she'd only got worse though and by the time the sun set little Lyra Lucia Malfoy was gone.

It wasn't fair. She was just a baby, she hadn't deserved to die. It had crushed his parents of course, his mother had taken to bed for weeks, wracked with guilt and grief. Nothing anyone said seemed to be able to convince her that it wasn't her fault, Scorpius wondered what eventually had. It was also the first time he'd ever seen his dad cry, crying for his little girl. How could Varanian think the same man who was so distraught over his daughter's death was responsible for attempted mass murder, including trying to kill his only remaining child?

"Miss you," Scorpius whispered kissing the tip of his index finger and pressing it against the image of his sister, he sighed and moved the picture away. It had also been the reason his parents had sent him away, thinking he should have a break from all that. It was probably the worst mistake they'd ever make but Scorpius didn't blame them, if they had known what was going to happen then they never would have sent him away, he knew that, no one wanted their child to be abducted.

He tried to put it out of his mind as he skimmed through the other photos, a few family portraits, some featuring Yip mostly and some of just his parents. His favorite of them was probably the one of his parents wedding, they looked so young and happy. They had all been young and happy once.

"If only we could live in photographs," Scorpius sighed and lay back down amongst the pictures, nostalgia was not a fun feeling but it was all he had. You could only look back when the present was a nightmare and the future seemed devoid of hope.

_I could always go home, _he thought as he closed his eyes. His parents had been reluctant to let him go, if only he hadn't insisted on it then he wasn't sure he'd even be there. It would be easy to get them to take him home, any doubts they had or that his grandfather raised would be worth nothing when they heard about the train being sabotaged, let alone about what happened in the lake. They wanted him to be safe. Hogwarts was supposed to be safe.

He didn't want to though, he didn't really want to be in Hogwarts but begging your parents to take you home seemed pathetic. He did have some sense of self pride and besides, if they did take him back then what then? He would be right back where he started. Also it reminded him of Calderon being forbidden from attending a magic school, if he turned away the chance now then he might never have it again. He still wanted to prove he could do it, that he wasn't weak and pathetic like his family thought.

"Hey Scorpius," Michael said and Scorpius tried not to roll his eyes as the mudblood pulled back the drapes again, "I know you want to be alone but its dinner time and so everyone's going to dinner."

"I'm not hungry."

"You already skipped lunch."

"I'm still not hungry."

"You can't keep skipping meals just to avoid bullies."

"I'm not," Scorpius lied and hoped Michael didn't hear his stomach objecting to this, "I'm just not hungry."

"But-"

"I said no, okay?!" Scorpius snapped and Michael sighed before stomping away.

It did remind him of the time however, it was getting late and he had homework to do. He reluctantly packed away the pictures, giving them one last longing look before he put them back in his trunk. Instead he got out his homework and began working on that, it was actually a good distraction and he was grateful for it in the end. He was almost done when he heard the others returning, he closed the drapes quickly and went back to the work.

"Hey," Michael greeted him as he pulled back the drapes again to talk to him, Scorpius couldn't help but roll his eyes this time before he noticed the mudblood was holding out food for him. He'd laid a napkin on a book and crammed several different meats, vegetables and chips onto it, there was even a knife and fork wedged against the side, "I know you weren't hungry but I thought you might have changed your mind by the time I got back so... I'm not sure what you like, I tried to make it a balanced meal, as much as I could pocket. May be a tad on the cold side but its the best I can do."

Scorpius didn't know what to say. He wasn't sure whether to be annoyed by Michael's odd attitude or grateful because he was starving. Stunned he just took the makeshift plate from the mudblood numbly, he was so hungry, it couldn't have looked more appetizing.

"Just give me the book back when you're done," Michael said, drawing Scorpius' attention back to him as the mudblood started to draw closed the drapes.

He dived into his food even before they were closed, it was delicious despite being only slightly warm. He ate every last bite. When he was finished he neatly placed the makeshift plate to one side and sighed, he decided he should be grateful to Michael for giving him the food despite everything. In fact he wondered if the mudblood could get himself into trouble for taking food from the table like he had, if he'd have gotten anyway.

Scorpius pulled back the drapes, he saw Michael immediately. The mudblood was sitting on his own bed and with a look of intense concentration as he practiced the _Lumos_ spell, carefully trying to mimic the arm movement from earlier with limited success by the looks of things. Scorpius went over to him and put the book on the end of the bed, Michael stopped what he was doing but didn't say anything.

"Thank you," Scorpius said before heading back to his own bed and going back to his homework, leaving the drapes open this time for light. He finished it fairly quickly and put his things away before he had company, except this time it wasn't Michael.

"Hey," Albus greeted him and Scorpius managed not to look surprised.

"Hey," Scorpius replied awkwardly as Albus looked around as if to check to see if anyone was listening before sitting beside him and lowering his voice.

"I know my dad and uncle talked to you today, about what happened on the train. They said hi before they left."

"What about it?"

"So... Aurors wouldn't be investigating if it wasn't serious," Albus prompted and seemed to expect Scorpius to say something but he didn't, "so it wasn't technical difficulties and a prankster. Can you just tell me what happened?"

"Weird, your dad asked me exactly the same thing."

"Malfoy!"

"Why didn't you ask him what happened?!" Scorpius demanded irritated at being asked about it, "I really don't know and he would know more about it than me."

"He... wouldn't tell me. Told us it was nothing to worry about."

"Well there you go."

"Please Malfoy, I just want to know what happened."

"I don't know what happened."

"Then just tell me what you do know."

"I don't really think I should. The adults will deal with whatever happened and tell us information as appropriate," Scorpius told him but Albus just scowled, "what?"

"Can you honestly look me in the eye and say if our positions were reversed that you would actually be okay with that answer? That you wouldn't want to know what happened?"

"Can you honestly look me in the eye and say if our positions were reversed that you would actually tell me what happened?"

Albus said nothing but sighed heavily and seemed to understand, he rose and went back to his own bed. Scorpius pulled shut the drapes again, hoping he wouldn't be disturbed again for the night. He got ready for bed and climbed into the covers, he also wished the night would be free of dreams. He got his wish.

* * *

_**Thanks to: **Aya Diefair and Vil89Six for reviewing!_

_**Author's Note: **Sorry its a short chapter, hope you like anyway  
_


	13. I: Letters

Scorpius woke up earlier than the others and decided it was best to get up, as quietly as he could to not wake anyone else up. The common room was blissfully deserted, no sign of James and his friends for which Scorpius was grateful for, his feet were still sore from yesterday. The common wasn't actually that bad when it was empty, even if it was for Gryffindor house. He sat down in one of the chairs, it was actually quite comfortable. Warm, relaxing, cosy even. But it was Gryffindor, he was no Gryffindor. He didn't belong there.

He sighed and stared into the fire, watching the flickering embers. He still didn't know why the hat had put him in Gryffindor, maybe after a thousand years the thing had finally broken. He didn't want to be in Gryffindor and the Gryffindors didn't want him there either, how could the hat miss that? Only Molly Weasley had stood up for him and welcomed him into the house, he felt an odd fluttering in his stomach as he thought of her. The gesture the had been lost in his misery yesterday but now he thought of it and smiled. Maybe not all Gryffindors were against him, Michael wasn't either but the mudblood wouldn't understand the politics of the wizarding world.

He got up and decided he would rather not be there when James and his friends woke up, he'd just go to breakfast early and wait for the food, read some more of his Transfiguration book maybe. He retrieved the book and headed off, for the first time he had time to walk slow and pay more attention to his surroundings, the portraits, the layout. He hoped by the end of the first week he'd have some idea of where everything was, or at least how to get to the essential areas without getting lost, he knew full well how dangerous losing your way could be.

The corridors were deserted for the most part, not many people were up so early or at least not wandering around in the hallways. He did see the occasional person, usually a professor or a prefect but no one sent him back to the common rooms, in fact none of them spoke to him. He wasn't far from his destination when he heard voices coming from a corridor to his left, they sounded like they were arguing.

Scorpius didn't want to get involved and wouldn't have given it a second thought, he tried to walk faster to get away from it but his feet came to a chilling halt when he heard one of them strike the other. He couldn't decide whether it sounded more like a vicious slap or a whip but it was loud and unmistakable as something _hitting_ someone. He froze.

"You'll do what I bloody well tell you to do Marius!" Varanian's voice snapped harshly, "someone targeted this school! I'm not going to nothing!"

"I... I get that," Calderon's voice said somewhat timidly in reply, "but going through all ingoing and outgoing mail from students and staff... that's a gross breech of privacy for everyone."

"If everyone is innocent then they have nothing to hide! And anything dangerous smuggled in or out would come into our possession rather than causing harm."

"You really believe someone here had something to do with what happened? The students are the ones who nearly died and I'd vouch for every member of staff personally."

"The new precautions are going to be put in place, Marius, I'm the Headmaster and its perfectly within my right to whatever I think is best for the safety of the students! If you won't go through the mail then I'll just hire someone who will, or simply ban unmonitored contact until I feel its safe to lift the restrictions," Varanian said but seemed to be making an effort to reign in his temper, "you go through my mail for me, I'm not asking anything of anyone that I'm not prepared to do myself, even though the only people who weren't involved with this for sure are myself and you."

"With all due respect, I think there's a difference between having someone's permission to do that and doing it behind everyone's back."

"If people knew they'd find ways around it! Think about it. Also think about this, whoever I hire won't have the same discretion and respect for everyone's privacy the way you would."

"And here I thought it was just so if you got caught you could claim your lunatic assistant did it behind your back."

"That too. Thank about it Marius, you have until the end of the day," Varanian said with a note of finality but Calderon spoke again.

"Or I could just tell the Board what you're doing and none of this happens instead."

No sooner had Calderon got the words out of his mouth then Scorpius heard another strike. He flinched. It sounded worse than the first, or maybe it just seemed worse now he knew Calderon was the one being struck. Scorpius felt he should be doing something, he couldn't just stand there and do nothing while someone he cared about was being hurt. Why Calderon didn't defend himself or fight back was beyond him but Scorpius would, regardless that the Headmaster was older, more skilled, more powerful and could expel him in an instant. It wasn't right. If Scorpius didn't like Varanian before, he _despised_ him now.

"I don't care that you saved my life, I'll destroy yours if you dare turn on me," Varanian spoke in a lower, threatening tone before his footsteps announced he was moving away.

It took Scorpius a second to realize that the footsteps were coming_ towards_ him, panicked he tried to make his feet move but it was too late. Varanian rounded the bend while he was turning, before Scorpius could react the headmaster grabbed his injured wrist. Scorpius forced his face not to show his pain at Varanian's vice grip dug into the unhealed cut. Instead he very deliberately met Varanian's icicle eyes, he saw his own hatred mirrored in them. He refused to blink.

"What are you up to, Mr Malfoy?" Varanian questioned in a tone of forced civility, "eavesdropping on your elders?"

"No, why? Were you talking to someone?" Scorpius replied and noticed Varanian's eyes glance down the corridor he'd came from, Scorpius did do for a moment and saw Calderon still standing further down it. Blood was trickling from a deep welt that went from his eye all the way across his cheek, Scorpius' fist clenched in wordless rage.

"No," Varanian lied looking back to him, "what are you doing wandering around? Up to no good like your Death Eater family?"

"I'm not wandering," Scorpius told him, putting all his effort into not exploding with anger but he had a feeling losing his temper and getting expelled was not the best option, "I was on my way to the great hall for breakfast."

"Bit early for breakfast."

"That's why I brought a book to read to pass the time," Scorpius answered holding up the Transfiguration book he held in his free hand. Also noticing in Varanian's free hand he held his wand, he'd probably used a spell to hurt Calderon, "unless you have a problem with that, _sir?_"

"No," Varanian growled but released his wrist, "so you didn't hear anything?"

"No, honestly I was just daydreaming," Scorpius said trying to sound casual as he shrugged nonchalantly, "I really should pay more attention to my surroundings, I almost walked into you after all."

"Very well," Varanian said with a disapproving snort that left Scorpius unsure whether he was believed or not, "happy reading then."

At this the headmaster stalked off the way Scorpius had come, he let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and rubbed his now stinging wrist. Silently cursing Varanian under his breath he looked to his left once more, Calderon was gone. Scorpius ran down the corridor looking for him, he wanted to make sure the assistant was alright but he couldn't find him.

Scorpius sighed in defeat and miserably continued on his way to the great hall, he took a seat at the Gryffindor table and rested his head on his hand comfortably. He tried to read, his eyes skimmed the pages but his mind didn't comprehend the words. This time his anger didn't drain away, it remained surging under his skin and threatened to burst everytime he thought of Varanian.

He was in a foul mood when the other students started arriving, they gave him wide berth and he was glad because he would have snapped at them if they hadn't. Breakfast appeared on the table and mechanically started to eat, his taste buds were not paying the slightest bit of attention to what he was consuming and neither was he. His fellow first years arrived after awhile, Michael sat down beside him and excitedly congratulated him on eating as he dived into the food himself. Scorpius didn't trust himself to speak.

His ears also weren't paying attention to the words being spoken around him or anything happen around him, he was quite surprised when the family owl dropped a letter on his almost-empty plate. Considering what he'd overheard it seemed weird they'd have post but then he supposed Varanian probably wouldn't do anything, he'd get Calderon or hire someone to do it so in the meantime they got post. He sighed and opened the letter, it was from his parents.

_Dear Scorpius,_

_How are things in Hogwarts? We were quite surprised to not have heard anything from you yet, you may have wanted to wait until you are more settled in but we really want to hear from you. How was the train journey? Did you get any sleep or make any friends on board? We hope you weren't too bored or lonely. Did you enjoy the trip across the late? The castle is quite beautiful at night, it is quite a sight to behold and quite lovely.  
_

_We are also anxious to know what House you're in, if the sorting ceremony went okay. It can be quite daunting sitting in front of everyone but everyone has to do it, you're not alone and the cheer you get when you get sent to a table makes up for it, I think so anyway. I know your grandfather was very insistent you be in Slytherin but any other house is just as good, we're proud of you no matter what so don't be ashamed to tell us if you got my old house Ravenclaw or even Hufflepuff.  
_

_We hope you've made some friends, they're in the same boat as you so people are usually quite friendly I found, especially in your own house. I know you're a bit shy and find it hard to talk to people but try open a bit, they would like you if they got to know you. We hope lessons aren't too much of a stress on you, if its too much then just tell the teachers. They'd be quite understanding of your situation and know you're a bit more delicate than the others, failing that go to the headmaster, your father sent a letter before you left explaining things so he should know people need to go easy on you.  
_

_We look forward to hearing from you soon but always remember if its too much for you then just say the word and you can come straight home, you don't need to push yourself too hard, its quite alright. _

_Take care, we love you son.  
_

_Mum & Dad  
_

_PS: your grandparents also sent their love and best wishes  
_  
Scorpius read the letter then reread it, not sure whether to laugh or scream at the mention of the Headmaster. He also was very aware that they mentioned not being ashamed of any house, yet failed to mention Gryffindor. He didn't know whether it was because they would be ashamed when he told them or because like him they hadn't even considered the possibility he'd be put in Gryffindor. He sighed and folded up the letter, not looking forward to writing his reply.

He couldn't shake his bad mood for the rest of the day though, it was all he could do to stop himself from snapping at anyone who spoke two words to him. Mostly Michael, he was not in the mood for the mudblood's amazement with every ordinary thing and failure at everything. Scorpius was as skilled as Michael was not, although he had a feeling the mudblood would do better if Nott didn't take every opportunity to mock him for his failure. It put Michael off and whatever improvement he'd done would be gone, his concentration lost. It was really getting on Scorpius' last nerve, the both of them were, then again every little thing seemed to be trying to set you off when you were angry.

He did try in the lessons though, focusing on them was the closest he got to reprieve from the repressed torrent of fury. After lessons he went with Michael to the library to do their homework, surprisingly the mudblood was better at homework than actual classwork due to his extensive notes. It was just too bad the notes were virtually illegible to anyone but Michael, the mudblood's handwriting was a disaster and his spelling was awful.

"I'm dyslexic," Michael told him looking ashamed when Scorpius pointed it out. He had absolutely no idea what it meant, he assumed it was some disgusting muggle thing he didn't want to know about.

Scorpius just nodded and went back to his homework, he was quite capable of doing the work without the mudblood's notes anyway, he did pay attention in class. He was glad to be in the library though, it was a good excuse to shut down Michael's attempts to start a conversation. He finished first as well and doodled pictures of Varanian being shot to amuse himself while he waited for Michael, it was the only thing that cheered him up marginally all day, that and he hadn't run into any bullies thus far. He also made himself write a reply to his parents, deciding to keep out anything that might make them worry for the time being, he was also very loose with the truth.

_To Mum and Dad_

_The train journey was pretty interesting, I met these awesome guys Marius and Ticcy so I wasn't lonely or bored. You are right, the castle is absolutely beautiful at night! Lessons aren't too difficult or stressful, I'm actually finding them really fascinating and it is cool using magic. I got sorted into Gryffindor.  
_

_Sorry for not writing, I've just been busy and I wasn't sure what to say, I know this is short but I hope its okay.  
_

_Lots of love  
_

_Scorpius_

He knew it was short but he didn't want to say too much of the truth or lie too much so he thought a short reply would be better. He also wasn't going to pour his heart and soul into a letter that someone else would read, Calderon wasn't too bad but Varanian might see it and he wanted nothing to do with the evil man. And the headmaster was evil. _And he had the nerve to say I'm evil, after what he did?! _Scorpius' mind ranted to him, every time his anger dulled he thought of the morning and was once again furious. He hadn't seen Calderon all day, not in classes or outside of classes or in the great hall at meals. He really hoped he was okay.

It was only at dinner that Scorpius finally felt relief, Calderon was actually in the great hall. As he got nearer to the teacher's table to take his seat with Michael, he did notice that there didn't seem to be a seat for the assistant. Instead Calderon stood beside the now raven-haired Varanian, still with a cane and a dour expression on his face. The welt was still livid on his cheek. He also noticed none of the teachers looked happy, usually at least some had a smile on their face but every last one looked somewhere between irritated and angry. Varanian stood and the room fell silent.

"Before we start this lovely meal, I would like to make an announcement," Varanian spoke, his voice carrying farther than it normally should without magical aid, "witches and wizards have had a long-standing bond with our feathered friends the owls who leave their natural habitat to be the bearers of our mail, unfortunately this can come at great cost to them as they can get lost or even die on these trips, especially on the long journey to and from Hogwarts. It is our responsibility to take care of them so to make things easier and safer for the owls I am putting in new regulations, as of tomorrow every owl delivering a message to or from the school will be checked over before they deliver the message. This may result in a slight delay in mail delivery but it seems a small price to pay in the long run.

Furthermore due to the behavior of students of this school, residents of Hogsmade have made complaints. From now on anyone wishing to go to Hogsmade needs not only the permission of their parent or guardian but from a teacher as well, to confirm your behavior meets acceptable standards to leave the school. There will also be more strict regulations on what you can bring to Hogwarts from there, as it has been pointed out that too many inappropriate things were confiscated last year, therefore anything you buy will be looked over by a teacher to confirm its appropriate. That is all."

* * *

_**Thanks to: **Vil89Six, owlgirlie387, District9and3-4 and Aya Diefair for reviewing!_

_**Author's Note: **Sorry if this seems a weird chapter  
_


	14. I: Losing It

Looking around, Scorpius saw not many people were pleased any this announcement, or at least the older students weren't, it didn't really effect the ones too young to go. The thing about the owls did bother Scorpius though, it was just a cover so Varanian could spy on them like the evil creep he was. Scorpius watched him eating for awhile, most teachers talked to each other while they ate but Varanian didn't. He wondered whether they approved of his new changes, if they didn't it would explain why they all seemed to share Scorpius' bad mood, or it could be something else. Calderon remained standing the whole time, Scorpius tried to catch his eye a few times but had no success.

"You gonna eat something or just glare at the headmaster all day?" Michael asked him after awhile and drew Scorpius back to the table, he started to eat reluctantly.

"I _hate_ him," Scorpius said firmly to no one in particular but the first years around him looked to him as he spoke.

"Who? Headmaster Varanian?" Michael questioned through a mouthful of potatoes, Scorpius wondered if all muggles had such bad manners.

"Obviously!"

"I don't really see a problem with the new rules," Albus offered with a shrug.

"Well you wouldn't, you don't know anything."

"Is this about what happened on the train?"

"Would you stop obsessing over that?! I'm not telling you what happened, I don't trust you and I don't like you but Varanian_ is_ evil," Scorpius spat stabbing into his meat angrily.

"You're evil," Albus commented with a glare that Scorpius quickly returned.

"Well I guess he did try to expel you and fire Professor Hagrid because Maximus Nott pushed you into a lake," Michael pointed out, "that is pretty harsh."

"Yeah that was," Albus agreed to Scorpius' surprise, "and he did lie to us about what happened on the train."

"Of course he lied, he lied to you then and he lied to you this evening," Scorpius snapped, "he's a violent, lying, ruthless, coldhearted, backstabbing bastard."

"You are much more talkative when you're angry, y'know?" Michael pointed out.

"What did he lie to us about?" Rose questioned and Scorpius realized she and Abby were also in on their conversation.

"I... can't say," Scorpius said reluctantly, trying not to let his anger control him, he was afraid of getting Calderon in trouble if he said anything, "let's just talk about something else."

The conversation lapsed into silence for awhile, or at least on Scorpius' part, Albus got drawn into a conversation his cousin and Abby were having on the welfare of owls. Scorpius just picked at his food and tried very hard not to glare so much at Varanian but it was hard, every time he glanced in that direction he saw the welt on Calderon's face and was reminded of everything. He longed to lash out, the more he tried to ignore his anger the more it built up inside and threatened to explode.

"Think they'll teach us the conjuring food spell?" Michael wondered after awhile, "making food out of thin air would be really useful at home, well when I'm eventually old enough to use it at home anyway."

"They don't conjure it out of thin air," Scorpius told him trying not to feel fed up with explaining everything to the mudblood.

"Then where does it come from?"

"From the kitchens, this stuff is already made by house-elves," Rose answered readily.

"What's a house-elf?"

"Merlin's beard Michael! Why do they even let mudbloods into magic schools if they don't know anything about anything?! No wonder you suck at everything when you don't know anything, you don't even know what freakin' house-elves are!" Scorpius snapped, a part of him knew he was out of line but he couldn't stop himself, "you'll never understand, you'll never catch up, you'll fail and waste everyone's time teaching you!"

"Don't be such a jerk to the only person who doesn't hate you," Albus pointed out sounding angry, "its not like you would know anything about muggle things."

"I know plenty about muggle things!"

"What's a TV then, genius?"

"It stands for television, its a box with moving pictures on it that aren't photographs, they talk and have plots and stories. You can put discs in to this box connected the TV to watch specific things that you like, programmes are the short ones and films are the long ones. Its one of many electrical devices muggles use, they love watching it almost as much as they love tapping away at their computers and fiddling with their phones. Phones are this small devices they use to communicate with other muggles over long distances but they need to charge them by connecting them to walls, the electricity that makes it all go through the wires," Scorpius recounted and saw the other boy's jaw drop, as did Rose and Abby, "oh yes, I know _a lot_ more about muggles then I wish I did so don't assume I'm your average ignorant pureblood who knows nothing about the non-magic world."

Scorpius really couldn't stand to be around anyone anymore and his mouth just seemed stuck on speak, he left without another word. He didn't know if anyone was looking at him but he'd had enough for that day, he was at common rooms before he knew it, he yelled the password to get inside and stormed in furiously.

It was empty inside for which he was glad, he sat down opposite the flickering fire and tried to reign in his temper. He knew he shouldn't have gone on a rant like that and he certainly shouldn't have spoken to Michael like that, mudblood or not, he hadn't deserved it. He was just so _angry_.

Ever since the morning he'd been in a rage, since Varanian. The fire blazed. He shouldn't be so angry though, he had to reign it in, anger was supposed to fade but Varanian just... infuriated him so much. He could feel the heat from the fire on his skin. He hated the headmaster so much, everything he'd done just made him hate him even more and then he _hit_ Calderon just to try make him do what he wanted.

Scorpius blinked. He reminded him of Marvin, Scorpius realized, Marvin never hesitated to strike him when he wouldn't do what he was told or if he spoke out of turn. It wasn't close to being the same situation, he knew, but Varanian reminded him of those moments.

His anger flooded away. The fire died. He sat there empty and cold. He hated emotions. He wrapped his arms around himself protectively, it provided little warmth or comfort but nothing really did. He shivered. He was sure the fire had been blazing earlier. He closed his eyes. He wanted to cry thinking of Marvin again but the tears wouldn't come again. Things would be worse now with the bullies, now that everyone thought he hated muggles and mudbloods like his family. He didn't want to remember.

_"I can go higher than you doggie boy!" Scorpius called out determinedly, trying to swing further than the other two._

_"Nu-uh scorpion boy! I'm totally gonna go higher!" Cameron retorted with a grin as he swung further, it was just them and Cameron's younger sister Lacey left as everyone else had gone home._

_"Go as high as you want, I'm going to go all the way over the top!" Lacey told them bravely, the two boys howled with laughter._

_"That's impossible!" Scorpius pointed out._

_"Nu-uh, I knew someone who did it."_

_"Really? Who?" Cameron demanded of his sister._

_"Um... Juno."  
_

_"Juno who?"_

_"Juno I can jump off the swings faster than you!" Lacey called as she jumped off the swings, the boys followed suite._

_"You're mad, you know Lace?!" Scorpius told us and she only laughed._

_"Only just realized that now, Scorp?" Cameron commented with a grin, "with the last name Maddog, what do you expect?"  
_

_"C'mon, let's go on the spinner!" Lacey pleaded but their mother called before either could reply.  
_

_"Lace! Cam!" she yelled coming over to them, "its getting late, we nearly to get home."_

_"Five more minutes!"_

_"I said you could have five more minutes half an hour ago, everyone's already gone home."_

_"Scorp hasn't," Cameron pointed out and the mother scowled._

_"Where is your brother, Scorp?"_

_"He's not my brother, his parents are friends of my dad and I'm staying with them for the summer," Scorpius explained, not for the first time, "and I don't know where he is, he says he has better things to do than babysit me so I should make my own way back."_

_"Do you want me to walk you back to the house?" _

_Scorpius shook his head vigorously at the offer, she was a muggle and the house he was staying at was not a muggle house. The wizarding neighborhood just happened to be near to a muggle one with a muggle park, he wasn't even sure muggles could see the house but either way it risked exposure. Besides he could make his own way back, he knew the way by heart. Also he didn't want to go back yet anyway, he was having fun._

_"I think I'm going to stay out a bit longer first but thanks for the offer, ma'am."_

_"Well think about heading back soon, before it gets dark. Okay?"_

_"I will, I promise."_

_"Good boy."_

_Scorpius smiled weakly and watched as his friends let with their mother, waving each other goodbye as they went. He didn't understand why his grandfather hated muggles, all the kids at the park were muggles and they were fun, friendly and fascinating. You didn't be to magical to have a good time, having imagination and a park helped. Parks had to be the best invention since Quidditch._

_He played for awhile, pretending he was a Seeker trying to catch the snitch by going through the various obstacles. He was a bit lonely without his friends but he was having a good time, he couldn't say anything about Quidditch around them anyway, you couldn't say anything about the wizarding world around them. He wondered if you were allowed to tell muggles about wizard things when you were an adult, he hoped so because he knew his friends would think Quidditch was cool. Besides, he was going to be the Seeker the world had ever seen and it would be kind of nice to have people cheering him on, his friends weren't biased against his family like most of the wizarding world.  
_

_He was knocked from his thoughts and the monkey bars when he felt something hit his arm. Shocked he looked around, thinking someone had thrown something at him but he saw no one, he couldn't see what had hit him either. He checked his arm but there was no mark, it didn't even hurt. He had to have imagined it. Looking around had made him aware that it was now getting dark, the sun was setting and he should be getting back like he'd promised._

_Scorpius started to head back but he stopped at the end of the road. Which was it to get home? He couldn't remember. He scowled and looked in both directions, it wasn't the first time Hal had ditched him to go hang out with friends and he had come back before by himself. He knew the route, he'd memorized it, he hadn't even gotten lost the first time he came back by himself. But he couldn't remember. He couldn't. What was wrong with him?  
_

_His feet started walking, he couldn't just stand there, walking would jog his memory or if nowhere was familiar than he'd know he was going the wrong way. He couldn't tell though, every house just looked the same and he had no idea if he'd been that way before or not. His head spun. Why couldn't he remember?! He was just getting more and more lost, he had no idea where he was._

_Abruptly he stopped. He wasn't sure why but he did. He was staring at a man planting a single flower in his garden, it had five large pale lemon petals with purple tips. The man looked up from patting the soil around it to glance at him, Scorpius backed away, he wasn't sure why but something in the way the man looked at him disturbed Scorpius. He shivered and turned around, almost walking into a man._

_"Are you alright?" the man with emerald eyes asked with a friendly smile, "you're looking a little lost there, boy."_

_"I... am," Scorpius admitted reluctantly._

_"Where are you trying to go, kid? Maybe I can help."_

_"Um... I forget the name of the place but its near Grislow street," Scorpius told him, he couldn't give the muggle the real address because he wouldn't know it but you got onto the wizard street from Grislow._

_"I know there. Let me walk you, we can go to Grislow and see if we can spot the place from there."_

_"Um... I don't think so, maybe you can just give me directions?"_

_"I could," the man said slowly but lost his smile, "but these streets are like mazes, there's a lot to remember... wouldn't want you to get a lost again, its not real safe for kids to be out after dark and I wouldn't want anything to happen to you. It'd be far easier if I just drew you a map or wrote it down for you. How about that?"_

_"Okay," Scorpius agreed and the man's smile returned, he started to head into the house of the man with the flower before pausing and looking back for him._

_"Why don't you come inside for a moment? Better than waiting out here in the cold."_

_"Um..." Scorpius hesitated slightly, it was a bit chilly and the man with the flower was still watching him creepily. He'd be better off inside for a minute, the man seemed nice enough. What was the worst that could happen? He was just a muggle, "okay."_

_Scorpius followed the man inside, the gardener's eyes never left him until he was into the hall. He let out a slightly relieved breath as they continued into the kitchen, it was much warmer inside. It was a large kitchen with a table by the wall, there were four chairs and the man motioned for him to take a seat before he handed him some paper and a strange stick, no ink. Curiously he pushed it to the page and it left a mark, he smiled at it, muggles were definitely interesting.  
_

_"Do you want a drink, kid?" the man offered already grabbing two cans of 'lemonade' from a odd metallic cupboard thing, Scorpius nodded carefully, he didn't want to be rude to the man who was helping him and he was thirsty._

_The man started giving him directions while he was still at the counter, Scorpius hastily began writing down what he was saying. The man hadn't been kidding when he said there was a lot to remember, it was quite confusing, he was shocked he'd gotten so far off track. _

_After a minute or so, the man came over and put a glass down beside him with the lemonade. He paused in his account and sat down opposite with his own glass, Scorpius took the opportunity to drink, lemonade had a tangy taste but he found he quite liked it. Muggles had good taste in drinks, he smiled as he put down the almost empty glass. He had been thirstier than he'd thought._

_"Thank you Mr...?"_

_"Marvin," the man told him returning the smile, "you can call me Marvin, kid."_

_"Thank you Marvin," Scorpius amended._

_The man started giving directions again, this time writing it down himself as he spoke. Scorpius nodded and tried to listen but he didn't feel well all of a sudden. His head felt so heavy, it was hard to focus, it was hard to stay awake, everything around him was spinning. _

_Marvin was still talking, Scorpius tried to tell him that he wasn't feeling good but the words didn't seem to reach his ears anymore. He thought he had spoken though because Marvin stopped, the movement off the writing instrument stopped and Marvin just looked at him. Everything started to go dark, he was sure he was going to pass out. He felt a pair of bony hands on his shoulder. The last thing he remembered before he passed out was seeing Marvin smile. His smile was no longer friendly._

"Are you alright?" a voice asked and Scorpius jumped in surprise at Michael's voice, especially after what he'd said earlier.

"I'm fine," Scorpius said more forcefully than he'd intended, the mudblood looked slightly hurt.

"Okay," Michael muttered and headed up to the dormitories.

Scorpius sighed heavily, trying to shake his head of memories. _Why am I so stupid? _he wondered bitterly as he too climbed the steps to his room. No one else was there besides Michael and himself, the mudblood was just lying on his bed looking at his wand with a melancholy look. Scorpius swallowed nervously and went over to his trunk, retrieving every last picture featuring Yip before approaching the mudblood.

"Hey," Scorpius greeted him awkwardly.

"Hey."

"I... I um... I owe you an apology," Scorpius offered, almost put off when Albus came into the room but went over to his bed with nothing more than a glare in his direction, "I'm sorry. About earlier."

"Its okay, its not like you didn't say anything that wasn't true."

"No! I was... just upset with Varanian and I took it out on you, I'm sorry," Scorpius insisted sitting beside the mudblood who frowned and sat up beside him as Scorpius handed him the pictures, Michael silently looked through them, "that's what a house-elf is. They kinda work for witches and wizards, do chores and stuff. My family have a few that work for us... that's Yip... he's my friend. He's really great."

"Cool. Thanks. For showing me," Michael said finally handing the pictures back to him, "you must be close to him. And your family. You look really happy in the pictures."

"I'm sure you have happy pictures of your friends and family too, except yours don't move," Scorpius answered quickly, not wanting to talk about his past much but Michael only laughed bitterly and shook his head.

"I wish. Goodnight Scorpius."

* * *

_**Author's Note: **Thanks to Vil89Six for reviewing!_


	15. I: When Good Men Do Nothing

Scorpius didn't sleep well that night, he tossed and turned for hours before he drifted off, Angelo's snoring didn't help. When he finally did sleep, he found himself in a nightmare. He was lost in Hogwarts, running around ever more frantically trying to find his way but the more he ran the more lost he became. The corridors shifted constantly, literally, twisting around but impossibly he remained on the ground, running down the hallways that seemed to just get longer or were just never-ending. He closed his eyes and pushed himself onwards, he _had_ to run, he had to get away. Abruptly he was forced to a halt as something grabbed his injured his wrist. He opened his eyes and saw it was Varanian holding his wrist, the headmaster dug his nails cruelly into the wound. It was agony. Scorpius screamed.

And then he was awake, breathing heavily. He rubbed his injured wrist, it was still sore. He pulled back the drapes and looked around the room, it was still dark and everyone was still sleeping - Angelo was still snoring even. He sighed in relief, grateful that he hadn't screamed aloud. Or if he had no one had noticed anyway.

He got out of bed, cringing slightly at the cold stone slabs but tried to ignore it as he went down into the common room. It was empty, as he had expected to be at night - or early morning. He didn't know the exact time but it was dark, although the common room was lit and the fire still burned. He sat down in one of the chairs, curling up comfortably so his bare feet weren't touching the cold ground but he didn't want to put on socks, he didn't want to be down there long.

He went to the bandage around his wrist and carefully started to unravel it, he wanted to inspect the wound. He could see the scar, or rather scars, three lines that wrapped themselves completely around his wrist although the outer two were disjointed. The cuts from whatever had grabbed him in the lake went over them, they were more random and sprawled and had scabbed over, already healing. There were fresh marks though, he noticed, marks from Varanian grabbing him the previous morning. Scorpius scowled, _where teachers allowed to do that?_

He sighed again and ran his fingers over the different lines, a shiver shot through him as he traced the one continuous livid line that went all the round and he stopped. The scars would never fade if everything get grabbing his wrist and injuring it more, he wanted them to be gone. He started re-wrapping the bandage around his wrist, the nurse had showed him how to it at St Mungo's because apparently magic didn't work on healing them, the bandage was longer now but the principle was the same.

Scorpius finished it easily, in fact maybe it was even a little better than it had been before, after a few days it had come slightly loose. He rested his head back and gazed into the flames, it was oddly comforting and cast a gentle heat that he found relaxing. It was nicer in the common room, away from Angelo's snoring it was peaceful. Maybe he would just sit there for a few minutes, rest his eyes...

"Wake up, Malfoy!" a voice yelled.

Scorpius barely had time to blink before some slapped him across him the face, he literally couldn't breath. For a brief moment of terror he thought it was Marvin waking him up, that he was a prisoner again but he forced himself to look at who had struck him and saw it wasn't Marvin. It was one of James' Gryffindor bully friends, the tall one. He relaxed slightly but the fear must have shown on his face.

"Scared, Malfoy?" the boy mocked with a smirk, "what's the matter? No one ever slapped you before and you told you what a pathetic excuse for a living being you are?"

"You'd be surprised," Scorpius whispered too quiet to be heard.

He took in his surroundings quickly as he got to his feet, sunlight was streaming through the windows and he saw several others already up and about. People who were dressed, he realized, suddenly feeling very self conscious for being in his pajamas. Silently he cursed himself for falling asleep and tried to walk to the steps, only for the other bullies to block his path.

"Where do you think you're going, Malfoy?" James questioned drawing his wand.

"Want to get some more sleep, pajama boy?" one of the bullies mocked.

"Is it against the rules to come down to the common room and fall asleep in your pajamas?"

"No," the third snorted, a lump of a boy who looked older than the others, "but it makes you look like an idiot. Or maybe you did it because you feel like you own the place?"

"No. Look it won't happen again," Scorpius said, really not wanting to engage them in his pajamas, "please just let me pass."

"Hmm... well since you said please," James seemed to muse for a moment before barking, "no!"

The others howled with laughter with this and James grinned, seemingly pleased his friends had liked his comment. Scorpius frowned slightly and decided to try and squeeze past them anyway, he was fairly small after all but they were having none of it. As he got closer the fat one shoved him violently back and something hit his head from behind, he was knocked forwards. He put out his hands to stop himself from falling flat on his face, wincing at the pain it caused his injured wrist.

"I did say no."

"You're not going anywhere, Malfoy."

"Not until we have a bit of fun with you anyway."

"Are you going to make me dance again?" Scorpius wondered trying to get back up but something shoved him back to his knees, he realized it was the tall one who'd slapped him before.

"How unoriginal would that be?" James questioned with a smirk, "so... you're supposed to get washed before you get dressed so let me help you with that, because unlike you I'm not evil."

On that note James raised his wand and said a spell, immediately water flooded down on him. Scorpius gasped at the shock of the icy cold water, he shivered and got his feet again. This time he wasn't pushed back down, the tall one was too busy laughing, a few other people were too. Soaked to the skin quite literally, his drenched pajamas clung to his body while his dripping hair was plastered to his head.

He made attempt to get to the dormitory, this time he ran but again he was rebuffed, although this time the fat one grabbed him and flung him painfully onto the ground. Before he could get up again James cast another spell, this one hit him directly, he felt it physically hit him. It was the first time he'd been directly hit by a spell but the sensation was familiar somehow. He didn't have time to dwell it on though.

He wasn't sure what James had done to him at first, no one said anything but they looked at him expectantly as if waiting for something. He took the opportunity to try get to his feet but failed. Something was wrong with his legs. Every time he tried to get up they started shaking uncontrollably, wobbling and buckling beneath him. The bullies roared with laughter as they watching him struggling. Others did too. Other people were watching and laughing.

He felt his cheeks burning with humiliation but he forced himself to look at them, he was oddly relieved to see Molly Weasley and Michael weren't amongst the crowd. He did see the others from his dorm though, Angelo and Reuben were laughing but Albus wasn't. He was standing awkwardly by the wall near his brother, staring at the ground with a guilt-ridden expression. He refused to meet Scorpius' eyes.

"This isn't right," Abby's voice said from nearby, she and Rose were also amongst the crowd and amongst those who weren't laughing, "my dad would never approve of this. Should we get a teacher or... do something?"

"He deserves it," Rose said coldly and firmly but she wasn't laughing.

He wondered what he had done to deserve it and Marvin's body thudding to the ground beside him came to mind, he shivered and looked away from the crowd as his legs gave way again. Even if the bullies weren't blocking his path to the dormitory he couldn't get away. For once he was glad he couldn't cry, he had a feeling that would amuse them more. It wasn't fair. He didn't even have a wand to defend himself.

"Let me have a go," one of the others said and Scorpius glanced up in time to see the fat one saying a spell that launched at him.

This time he didn't need to wait to see what had been done, from where the spell had struck him he felt something _crawling_ beneath his skin. He yanked up his sleeve to see several shadowy lumps spreading out, moving around under his skin. He could feel them. He felt sick.

Scorpius knew he was panicking but he couldn't help it, _what the hell am I supposed to do?! _He started trying to hit the lumps but it didn't seem to do anything, they continued spreading out to his shoulder then to his chest and back. They were constantly moving, seemingly everywhere, it made his skin itch uncomfortably.

Frantically he just started clawing at them desperately, scratching madly at the itchiness that seemed to be everywhere. It didn't help but he couldn't stop, he didn't know what else to do. It was itchy all over. The crawling things didn't stop moving! He dug his nails in so deep it hurt, he knew he was leaving marks but he just couldn't reach them!

"Make it stop!" Scorpius screamed. They laughed harder. It thundered in his ears.

"I think... I think that's enough," Albus voice pleaded weakly, "James please make it stop."

"He's fine Al, jeez you almost sound like you feel bad for the enemy," came James' reply.

"I don't!"

"Good."

_Make it stop!_ Scorpius mind shrieked at him desperately as the crawling itch spread to his face, the laughter seemed to die down a bit as he clawed at his cheeks. _Make it stop! Make it stop! Make it stop! _He wanted to scream but he had a feeling it would do no good. Then again scratching himself wasn't either, he starting hitting them again instead which seemed equally effective but he couldn't stop.

Abruptly he felt something slam into his stomach. He gasped and fell to all fours, his body instinctively wretched and to his surprise a spider shot out of his mouth. It was a strange kind of spider, about the size of a coin with oddly pointed legs. It started crawling away immediately. He barely had time to register it before he felt something hit his torso again, another spider was jolted out. It happened again and again, he felt like someone was kicking him so forcefully it hurt, no one was near him though, it had to be some magic. But the spiders kept coming out, every time. As they did the itching lessened and then there was no more things crawling under his skin.

Then it was over. No more crawling. No more kick-feelings. The pain remained though. He felt bruised from the invisible kicks, he let his body collapse on the ground and clutched at his stomach breathing heavily. He closed his eyes, he didn't want to be there. Some people still laughed.

"You're so weak, Malfoy," the fat one sneered.

"What should we do next?" James wondered sounding almost cheerful.

"I have an idea," one of the others offered brightly, "anyone want to watch the Death Eater spawn squirm?"

Scorpius squeezed his eyes shut tighter and tried to brace himself for whatever torment was next in store for him. He felt too drained to fight. He couldn't fight anyway. He _was_ weak. He couldn't do anything. He couldn't protect himself. He hated everyone for doing this to him. He hated himself for being so weak. He hated Gryffindor. It wasn't fair.

"Hey!"

"Hey yourself!" Michael's voice snapped, "what the hell is wrong with you people?!"

"You wouldn't understand, he doesn't belong here, he's a Malf-"

"Silence you! So what that he's a Malfoy and his family were Death Enders?! Or whatever they're called. Scorpius hasn't done anything! He's eleven years old! He wasn't even alive when the whole war was happening. Are all your parents saints?! Should we punish everyone for their family's crimes?! Huh?!" Michael yelled and Scorpius realized everyone had gone silent, "my dad's a career criminal, want to beat me up too?! each and every one you should be ashamed of yourselves! Picking on an unarmed boy and laughing at someone's pain like that... And the rest of you are just as bad! You know what they were doing is wrong but you just stand by and do nothing, not one of you did anything?! Aren't Gryffindors supposed to be brave?! You're the ones who don't belong here!"

Not a word was spoken.

Scorpius opened his eyes as Michael came over to him and tried to help him to his feet, he saw the mudblood in completely a new light. He would never have thought Michael capable of standing up to everyone like that, especially considering he was a first year and wasn't particular adept with magic. That and he never spoke so much as a word in his defense when Nott was mocking him.

Scorpius' legs were still refusing to work though, he had to lean heavily on Michael for support which was awkward but the mudblood really was shockingly scrawny. After a second he was surprised again when Albus came over and looped his other arm around his shoulder, Scorpius started to wonder if he was dreaming again or had slipped into an alternate dimension somehow when people did the opposite of what he thought. He risked a glance around and saw the whole room looked abashed. He still didn't see Molly though.

They started to make their way to the dormitory, it was so difficult with his jelly legs refusing to work but they were getting there. He noticed James glaring at Albus as if he'd been betrayed but no one said anything, the bullies moved aside.

"Now give us back are wands, freak," the fat one hissed at Michael and the mudblood shot him a dark look.

"Fetch," Michael said calmly and with his free hand threw several wands across the room. The fat one looked ready to explode with anger.

"I'll get you for this, freak, mark my words."

Michael didn't react and the fuming boy stormed away in the direction the wands had been thrown, the others seemed to follow suit but Scorpius couldn't tell as they pressed on to get upstairs. It felt like forever before they reached his bed, every step seemed to take a long time. Scorpius lay down weakly, his legs were still shaking. He wanted to thank them but his mouth didn't seem to be working.

"We should take him to the hospital wing, get him checked out," Albus announced.

"We should get a teacher, they can fix his legs and they'll know what to do, Michael countered and Albus cringed in response, "what?"

"I just... I don't want my brother to get in trouble."

"Look I'm fine, I don't need a nurse or a teacher," Scorpius intervened, finding his voice and both boys blinked as if they'd forgotten he was there.

"Your legs," Albus pointed out.

"Yeah and you... kinda look like Freddy Krueger tried to slap you. You're getting an adult to help whether you like it or not."

"I don't want a fuss," Scorpius protested but the both looked determined, "how about... how about... Calderon! Take me to Calderon. I trust him. He'll... just... he's just good."

"Do we even know where is?" Albus wondered.

"Its better than nothing, I'll go ask where he... would be. Good thing its a Saturday!" Michael announced already towards the door.

"Wait!" Scorpius called him back and the mudblood froze, "thank you. Both of you... thank you."

"Its nothing, don't worry about it," Michael brushed it off but there was a ghost of a smile on his face as he left.

"You should probably get dressed," Albus commented.

Scorpius nodded and carefully pulled the drapes closed. He started to get dressed, it was slightly awkward with his legs but they obeyed him enough to get on some clothes. He still wasn't really wasn't sure why they were helping him though, not after he'd yelled at Michael and Albus... hadn't Albus called him evil just last night?

"Why are you helping me?" Scorpius' voice asked before his mind could decide whether it was a good idea or not.

"Because..." Albus began in a strangled kind of tone before sighing, "because it was the right thing to do."

Despite everything Scorpius smiled.

"Maybe you're not so bad after all," Scorpius commented.

"Maybe you're not either... but you know this doesn't make us friends or anything."

"Oh no, of course not... I wouldn't think... that it would."

"Neither would I... its not like... it doesn't change who are dads are."

"Yeah, I completely understand."

"Good."

"Okay," Michael's voice said as he returned, Scorpius pulled back the drapes now fully dressed except for his shoes that he reached for as the mudblood came over to them, "ready to go?"

* * *

_**Thanks to: **Vil89Six, owlgirlie387 and Aya Diefair for reviewing!_


	16. I: The Aftermath

It was equally awkward as the trio started off again, a part of him had hoped that whatever spell had been used on his legs would wear off. No such luck. Scorpius was forced yet again to lean heavily on the two boys as they made their way back down to the common room, he was glad to see the crowd had dispersed and the bullies were nowhere in sight. As they moved out into the main castle they did get some odd looks which he supposed was understandable, he caught a glimpse of himself and the mirror and was sickened by the bleeding scratches going down his cheeks. No one said anything though, he was grateful for that. In fact the people who didn't look were Gryffindors who went out of their way to not look, the Gryffindors who did look hadn't been amongst the crowd and looked as confused as the others. No one spoke the whole journey.

It was actually was actually quite unpleasant for Scorpius, he ached all over and the scratches stung painfully. He knew some of them were bleeding, he felt blood trickling down his cheek especially. It made him shiver. He had done that to himself, they'd made him claw at himself so deep he was bleeding. His hair was also still damp and skin was cold, he longed for a nice _warm_ bath when it was all over.

"This should be it," Michael announced as they came to a halt beside a door in one of the corridors, Scorpius had thought it was a closet but Michael rapped on it anyway, "Calderon?"

Almost immediately he heard noise from behind the door, a thud followed what sounded like a stack of books falling, followed by cursing, followed by... Scorpius wasn't sure, flipping pages maybe and move thudding then Calderon's maniacal laughter. Finally the assistant poked his head out of the door, there were bags under his eyes and from the state of his hair, Scorpius thought he had just gotten up. He still had the welt on the cheek. Scorpius hated Varanian.

"Yes?" Calderon questioned with a yawn.

"I'm sorry, " Michael apologized looking slightly guilty, "did we wake you?"

"Nah, its fine I'd only just gone to bed."

"It's the morning," Albus pointed out and Calderon scowled as he spared a glance for he window across the hall.

"So it is. I gotta ask for a room with windows. Or a clock. But the whole tick-tocking drives me mad. Er. Madder. Seriously how can people stand it? Ticking and tocking and ticking and... tick, tick, Ticcy."

"Um... yeah," Albus said awkwardly before Calderon could rant some more, "could you... I dunno, help us maybe?"

"Sure. Wait here."

At this Calderon grinned and snapped his fingers before ducking back into the room, the door closing on them. Scorpius was barely paying attention. The second the assistant had snapped his fingers, Scorpius' legs stopped shaking, the curse apparently lifted. He was unsteady on his feet for a moment, seeming to have to adapt to having stable legs but he let go of the others and could stand unaided.

"Halle - freakin' - lujah!" Michael exclaimed seeing the curse lifted.

"He seems a bit... odd," Albus said slowly but looked amazed as Scorpius could stand.

"He is," Michael shrugged, "but he's the decent sort of person. I like him. He's the one who told me I was a wizard and helped get wizard stuff for school at um... Diegon Alley, is it? Best day of my life. Ever."

"And he did somehow save us on the train so that's... good."

"Do you still want to know what happened on the train?" Scorpius asked, wondering whether he should tell Albus about it after all. Did he owe Albus and Michael for helping him? It wasn't so much Albus he was afraid of telling, it was that Albus would blab and cause a panic or something.

"Well... yeah."

"Can we stop talking about what happened on the train, _please?_" Michael pleaded with a roll of his eyes, "we don't know what happened, let it go or your curiosity will drive you mad."

"Sorry I just... I've never seen my dad and uncle look so worried as they did when I asked about the train, that's all."

"Well try think about something else."

"Like what?"

"Food! I'm starved."

"Why don't you guys go and get some breakfast then?" Scorpius offered, suddenly feeling bad they were wasting so much time taking him to Calderon instead of getting fed.

"Nah, food can wait till Calderon's done with you."

"Yeah," Albus agreed.

"The spell to my legs is broken so I can stand alone now, Calderon's... I think he's getting dressed and will be out in a minute so you guys don't have to stand around waiting for me," Scorpius pointed out and they both frowned at him, "it shouldn't take long, I'll catch you up. Save me something if there's any food left."

"I don't know... what if Calderon wants to talk to us?"

"Then we'll go get you from the great hall. It'll be easier... to talk about... you know what... what... the thing that happened by myself."

"Well... okay," Michael reluctantly agreed, "but if you're not back in half an hour we'll come back for you, okay?"

"Okay."

Hesitantly the other two Gryffindors left him alone. Scorpius couldn't help but feel relieved that they were gone, it wasn't that he wasn't grateful because he was. There was a part of him that was humiliated that he had needed help in the first place, the same part that taunted him for his consistent failure to protect himself and sneered he was weak like his family thought. But he was still grateful, his failings were his own, not theirs. He was still surprised they'd stood up for him, people he'd been warned against had saved his skin. It was incredulous. Besides he wanted to talk to the assistant alone.

He shivered again and shook his head before Calderon's door swung open once more, this time Calderon's whole body was visible and he had indeed dressed himself. Yet again in muggle jeans and a jumper, he'd even brushed his hair. He still had the welt on his cheek. Everytime Scorpius saw it, he hated Varanian a little more. Calderon scowled and looked both ways up the corridor.

"Weren't there three of you?"

"They went to go get breakfast," Scorpius answered with a shrug and Calderon cocked his head to one side to study him, "you shouldn't have taken so long."

"Well its hardly appropriate for me to entertain students in my underwear-turn-nightwear is it?" Calderon pointed out before sighing and moving aside slightly to allow him entry, "best come in then, Scor."

Scorpius walked inside, quite pleased to see his legs were co-operating. He was shocked when he saw Calderon's room though, he wasn't sure he had been wrong when he thought it had been a closet. It was tiny. The room was barely the length of the single bed it held and not even twice as wide, there were no windows at all and the only light came from a jumble of floating candles that hovered around a ball of light like the sun.

There was a desk wedged against the free wall with a chair that didn't look like it was capable of being pulled out fully, like the desk it was piled with parchment and books anyway. There were trunks rammed underneath the bed and several shelves that were floating around the room, they too were covered in a random assortment of items and books. Scorpius couldn't help but be shocked, he didn't think people could utilize such small rooms as bedrooms.

"Welcome to my humble abode," Calderon told him as he closed the door and made a bow, his cane making it awkward but he had a strange smile as he motioned for Scorpius to sit on the bed, which he did as Calderon yawned again.

"You're tired," Scorpius stated, it was a fact not a question and the assistant studied him curiously before speaking.

"Its understandable, I haven't really slept since I woke up in the hospital wing. Been working. Pippy isn't keen on me stopping to do foolish things like eat and sleep when there's work to be done."

"That's awful."

"That's the way it is," Calderon said with a shrug as he studied Scorpius with a curious expression, "so what happened to you?"

Scorpius bowed his head slightly, having to admit what had happened somehow made it worse, it made him more ashamed. He heard Calderon sigh and looked back up just in time to see the assistant hold out his hand, palm-first to Scorpius before light erupted from it.

Scorpius gasped in shock and his eyes jerked shut as the light hit him, consuming him as a feeling of warmth spread through him. It didn't hurt, in fact it felt gentle, relaxing almost. Then he seemed to be aware of every injury on his body, every throbbing bruise, every bleeding scratch, even the scabbing wounds from the lake-creatures and then he felt the pain receding, fading away... Healing. He could feel his body healing. It was amazing.

Until he became aware of the scars on his wrist, it wasn't pain but perhaps slightly discomforting. But it didn't fade. It got worse. He could feel pressure on his wrist, like something was pressing down on the scars. The pressure got more and more intense, so intense that it hurt. He whimpered in pain but found himself incapable of moving, he couldn't open his eyes, he couldn't even open his mouth to tell Calderon to stop.

He thought he heard Calderon give a pained grunt himself before the pressure was lifted. The healing sensation vanished. The light was gone and he could move again. Scorpius blinked and opened his eyes, he saw Calderon leaning back against the wall, breathing heavily. He was about to ask what Calderon had done to him before he realized. The pain was gone. Everything. He looked at his arms, the assortment of self-inflicted scratches were gone.

"Wow," Scorpius breathed and started unraveling the bandage around his wrist, the marks from Varanian and the creatures of the lake were gone. Only the scars remained, they looked more livid somehow but it could have just been his imagination.

"You're welcome, Scor," Calderon commented with a nod, "so are you going to tell me what happened now?"

"I... okay."

Reluctantly Scorpius told him about what the bullies had did to him, careful to leave out who the bullies were. With the exception of James, Scorpius didn't know their names anyway. He knew them by sight and that they were Gryffindor, that was pretty much it though. You weren't supposed to rat out people in your own house, even if you hated the people and the house. Besides he didn't want to make a fuss, what would his parents do if they found out what happened? Maybe if he didn't the bullies in trouble then they'd appreciate it and leave him alone too.

"I need their names, Scor."

"I don't know them."

"The house, or houses at least?"

"They were wearing normal clothes, not uniform. It is a Saturday."

"What did they look like?"

"I didn't get a good look."

"C'mon, I wasn't born yesterday," Calderon told him with a sigh, Scorpius didn't know what to say, "you shouldn't be protecting these boys just because they're in the same house as you."

"I never said they were in Gryffindor!" Scorpius burst out panicked and Calderon only laughed shrilly.

"No you didn't, I guessed and you just kinda confirmed it."

"Please don't do anything, I don't want to make a fuss. I don't want them to get in trouble, I don't want to get in trouble. I don't want my parents to find out. I'll deny it ever happened," Scorpius babbled anxiously and hung his head, "please Calderon, I came to you because I trust you."

"Scor, those boys should probably be suspended for this," Calderon pointed out with a sigh, "its wrong, Hogwarts does not teach magic so students can bully each other with it. Staff are really supposed to report incidences of bullying to the headmaster, punish the culprits accordingly because its not tolerated."

"Why? I don't mind. I prefer it."

"It's the rules."

"Well knowing Varanian, he'd just expel me for it."

"You don't know him at all! He wouldn't expel you for it."

"He's evil and he hates me."

"He's _isn't_ evil and he doesn't... _hate..._ you," Calderon answered awkwardly and oddly defensively, "he just... doesn't like people related to Death Eaters... much. Because he really hates Death Eaters... alot."

"He_ is_ evil and he does hate me," Scorpius protested and just found his mouth blurting information, "he wanted to expel me and fire Professor Hagrid because of what happened at the lake and I heard him tell Harry Potter that he thinks my dad was the behind the attack on the tracks and that the warning was about me because I'm evil and I... I overheard your conversation yesterday, that he wants you to spy on everyone for him and I know he hit you and gave you that mark."

"He didn't hit me, it was a spell," Calderon pointed out and held up a hand as Scorpius opened his mouth to protest that that was just as bad, if not worse, "and he doesn't usually do that anyway. As to everything else, he's just stressed, I don't think he meant any of it. He's very concerned about protecting the school and everyone it, that night on the train... everyone could easily have died and well, its never happened before and its understandable he might be freaked out and a little paranoid after that."

"A lot of people are stressed, it doesn't mean they should act like that."

"Maybe so but it doesn't make him evil, Scor."

"Fine," Scorpius sighed defeatedly, a part of him feeling oddly hurt by Calderon's reaction, "tell him what happened to me then, but when he finds a way to make it my fault and expels me then don't be surprised. And be careful of Varanian, he shouldn't hit you and he is... not good so... keep an eye on him. Maybe I'll be better off at home anyway, I never belonged in Gryffindor."

"Okay Scor, how about we compromise? I won't tell Pippy if you tell me who they are so I can see to giving them detentions. Does that seem fair?"

"I really don't know their names."

"Well describe them, I know every student in this school."

Scorpius sighed and reluctantly told him what the bullies looked like, it seemed like the only option. With the exception of James. He felt some obligation to protect Albus' brother, Albus had tried to get his brother to stop after all and had helped him walk. The least Scorpius could do in return was try not drop his brother in it. If he did tell on James then he wondered if Harry Potter would find out, decide he and his father were guilty as revenge and send them to Azkaban. He swallowed nervously. He would tell Calderon about James if the assistant asked for a description of the fourth, that seemed fair? But when he finished speaking, Calderon seemed content and didn't ask. Scorpius couldn't decide whether that was a good thing or not.

"I know this isn't what you wanted," Calderon said when Scorpius started to leave, "but it really is the best thing to do. Hogwarts students are supposed to be safe, even from each other. I'll take care of it. And try not worry about Pippy, he's a good man."

"I can't believe that. Not after the bad things he's said and done. He seems evil to me."

"Sometimes we only see what we want to see. You want him to be evil because if he is then it means he was wrong about you. You're not evil, Scor, regardless of what anyone says."

"I... I..." Scorpius began but trailed off, he had no idea what to say but he felt his heart beating faster, "I have to go. Bye Calderon. Thank you for healing me."

* * *

_**Author's Note: **Wow, I'm sorry. That chapter was so hard to write for some reason and I kept rewriting the whole section with Calderon, well all the talking bits anyway, sorry if its no good, it was really difficult. I had the bullying incident all planned, the aftermath not so much I guess but yeah I'll shut up now  
_

**_Thank you:_**_ owlgirlie387, Vil89Six and SimplyEcho (glad you stumbled upon it and like it so far!) for reviewing  
_


	17. I: Saturday

It was only after he left that Scorpius realized he hadn't asked Calderon what was happening with the mail like he'd meant to, or ask if there was any news about who had sabotaged the tracks, or even if the assistant was okay. Silently he cursed his useless brain as he continued on his way to the great hall, not really looking forward to breakfast but he had said he would be there.

He was feeling a lot better though. Whatever Calderon had done to him had worked wonders, he felt much better than he had after being in the hospital wing. All the pain was gone and even his hair was dry, he didn't know the last time he'd felt so refreshed. He was quite impressed that he made it to the great hall, he only lost his way once but he managed to find his bearings again without the portraits help. He made his way over to the Gryffindor table to where Albus and Michael sat, Abby and Rose were with them and it didn't notice unnoticed by Scorpius the odd way they stopped talking when they saw him approach.

"Wow, you look good as new!" Michael commented brightly as Scorpius sat down beside him, "did the nurse magic to heal you? Can magic heal people? That's amazing!"

"No, Calderon did and yes magic is used to heal people," Scorpius answered while taking some food for his plate, he was actually quite hungry for once, "potions too."

"What spell did he use?" Rose questioned, sounding somewhere between curious and annoyed.

"I don't know."

"Did he ask you about what happened?" Albus asked worriedly.

"Obviously."

"Are we allowed to make potions outside of school?" Michael wondered.

"I don't think so."

"How can you not know what spell he used?" Rose complained, glaring at him.

"It was a non-verbal spell."

"What did you tell him?" Albus asked nervously.

"The truth."

"What about if we make potions at school and then bring them home with us?" Michael inquired slowly.

"I don't know, ask a teacher."

"Healing magic can be dangerous, y'know?" Rose announced testily, "he shouldn't really have done that.

"Well he did and I'm fine."

"Did you tell him who did it?" Albus asked anxiously.

"I described them and left your brother out of it."

"Because you know, _technically_ you're not doing magic outside of school because you already did it," Michael pointed out.

"I told you, I don't know."

"Was he fine though?," Rose questioned and Scorpius rolled his eyes.

"I don't know! What is this, twenty questions?"

"What's twenty questions?" Abby wondered.

"It's a game you play when you're in the car and the radio isn't working!"

"What's a radio?" Abby asked, Scorpius groaned in exasperation but the girl gave him a gentle smile and spoke awkwardly, "I'm sorry. I know what a radio is. I was just teasing. Y'know? Relax."

Scorpius didn't say anything, not sure whether Abby was being mean to him or being friendly. An uncomfortable silence ensured but the others stopped questioning him so he could eat, he was oddly hungry and didn't need any urging from Michael to eat.

After a while the awkward silence was broken by Rose who started talking about lessons instead, or at least the homework that needed to be done over the weekend for lessons. The others gradually seemed to come out of the haze of quiet and join her in talk. Scorpius didn't, he was only half listening really. He wasn't worried about his homework, in fact he was looking forward to it because if not he had no idea what he was expected to do in his free time. He was glad no one spoke about the bullies again.

He found his eyes going to the teacher's table, there weren't as many teachers there as at dinner, inf fact it was the emptiest that he'd ever seen the table. In fact he only recognized two of the teachers there. Professor Slughorn was one, the Potion Master's plate was literally piled high with food, and Varanian was the other, even if he was a blonde now. He hated Varanian.

It got him thinking about what Calderon had said, that he just _wanted_ Varanian to be evil. He did want Varanian to be wrong about him being evil, he would admit that, he didn't want to be evil after all. But it didn't change Varanian's actions. He had hurt Calderon and Scorpius didn't care how stressed you were, maybe slapping someone in a fit of rage would be understandable but twice? And with a spell, a spell you needed to focus on and make a conscious effort to use? He hadn't told Calderon about Varanian digging his nails into his injured wrist, that definitely hadn't been an accident. He also wasn't convinced Varanian hadn't been serious about firing Professor Hagrid or expelling him, he didn't seem the type to make idle threats.

"If you keep glaring at the headmaster then he might actually expel you, y'know?" Michael pointed out and he looked back to the table.

"He _is_ evil."

"So you've said..." Albus muttered before clapping his hands and speaking up in a forced cheerful tone, "so anyone excited by the Quidditch try outs in two weeks?"

"Why would we be excited? First years almost never make the teams."

"Doesn't mean we can't try, James tried out last year and they took him on as a reserve Seeker. He never got to play last year but now the old Seeker's left, he's practically got the job and the try out's really just a formality."

"My brother got Keeper for Slytherin the same way," Abby announced proudly before laughing, "my dad says its awkward when Gryffindor and Slytherin are against each other, has to cheer for his house and for his son. Shall be interesting when I have to do that too."

"You have a brother in Slytherin?" Scorpius wondered, genuinely surprised that one of the families he'd be warned against would have someone in the house he'd supposed to have been in.

"Yep and my sister's in Hufflepuff, if my little brother gets Ravenclaw then there'll be a Longbottom in each!"

"Not like that for my family, Weasley's all in Gryffindor," Rose pointed out somewhat proudly, "how a Malfoy landed in Gryffindor, I'll never know."

"Well that's one thing we can agree on," Scorpius muttered, "I'm not really into Quidditch anyway."

"Blasphemy!" Albus accused jokingly. Scorpius didn't smile.

"Muggle moment here," Michael spoke up, "but what is Quidditch?"

At this, Albus launched into a detailed explanation of Quidditch with the aide of Rose and Abby who spoke up occasionally. Scorpius just went back to his food and zoned out, he wasn't quite sure why it depressed him so much but it did. Michael looked excited though, a game played in the air would be an alien concept to muggles as all their sport-games were on the ground. That he knew of anyway. Marvin hadn't liked organized sports, he preferred boxing or ultimate fighting, the occasional wrestling match. Scorpius had never understood why, all Marvin did was bet on them then lose then fly into a rage over it.

"Well we should be going," Rose announced when Albus was done, "if we want to be on time for tea with Hagrid."

"Cool, Hagrid seemed nice," Michael pointed out with a grin but Rose looked horrified.

"You're not invited! It's just Abby, Albus and I. Because we've known him our whole lives. Because he's friends with our parents. You and Malfoy aren't allowed. Obviously. Sorry."

"I'm sure Hagrid wouldn't mi-"

"Albus, Hagrid invited us. Not them," Rose interrupted earning her two pairs of scowls from Albus and Abby, "anything else would be rude. It's not like they're our friends or anything."

"It's fine, we understand," Michael brushed it off awkwardly.

"Tell Professor Hagrid, I say hi," Scorpius offered, he hadn't had a chance to talk to the giant since he'd stood up to Varanian for him but Rose's eyes just narrowed at him.

"Why would Hagrid care what you say?"

"Fine. Have fun."

Scorpius rose and left, he had just finished his second plate anyway and he wasn't very well going to sit around and get insulted. He had enough on his mind already, he'd had enough for one day and it wasn't even lunch time. He stalked out of the great hall so fast and focused he didn't notice his name being called, abruptly he felt someone grab his scarred wrist and he turned with an angry bark on his tongue before he saw who it was. He blinked in surprise as the older boy let him go.

He looked older than when Scorpius had last seen him, the day the moody then-fourteen-year-old had told him to make his own way back from the park because he had "better things" to do than babysit. He'd been going into the fourth year the last time Scorpius had seen him, that was more than a year ago now and the Slytherin had evidently not only started his fifth year now but had become a prefect, the badge gleaming proudly on his robes. Scorpius wouldn't have guessed the irresponsible lazy Hal Davis would have been first choice for prefect.

"H-Hey Scorpius," Hal said awkwardly, his voice had evidently finished breaking now.

"Hey Hal," Scorpius answered, he had no idea what the Slytherin wanted with him, he'd never given him the time of day before. Hal's mouth opened and closed a few times, as if trying to find the right words before he finally spoke again.

"I... I err... almost didn't think you'd be coming to Hogwarts considering... when I didn't see you with the other first years and then when McGonagall read out your name and you weren't there I thought... that you weren't... y'know up to coming... then when you were late and got sorted into Gryffindor... I erm... I haven't had the chance to talk to you but I... I... wanted to... I'm so sorry, Scorpius. I'm so, so sorry. I should never have left you alone. I should-"

"It's fine, Hal," Scorpius interrupted, he _really_ didn't want to talk about it now, "I don't blame you."

"Everyone else did!" Hal snapped looking upset, if Scorpius didn't know any better he would have guessed Hal was on the verge of tears, "your dad was so mad when he found out that I actually thought he was going to kill me. At first everyone thought you had just gotten lost, my parents looked for you for hours and I... I couldn't be bothered, I actually thought you doing it on purpose just to get me in trouble. They couldn't find you though. No one could find you. You were gone for such a long time."

"I know."

"I'm sorry, Scorpius, I'm really sorry," Hal whispered guiltily as he hung his head, "I never meant for you to get hurt, I just wanted to hang out with my friends a lot more than a ten-year old."

"Nine," Scorpius corrected automatically and Hal looked up at him with pitiful eyes, "I was nine. It wasn't my birthday for another week."

"Nine... I would never have left you if I knew what would happen, I swear. I was a stupid, self-centered, lazy ass but I never wanted you to be hurt. I'm different now, y'know? I cleaned up my act. I don't expect you to forgive me, even if you do I'll never forgive myself. But if there's anything you need, anything you want, anything I can do to help at all - with anything - then just come to me, okay? No judgement, no questions, just anything I can do then I will."

"You don't need to-"

"No but I want to, its the least I can do," Hal interrupted and looked so... desperate, Scorpius was stunned.

"Okay," Scorpius reluctantly agreed, not really thinking of anything the older boy could possibly offer him.

"Okay," Hal repeated and a ghost of a smile appeared on a face, "so... how you doing?"

"Fine."

"Really? My mum said you weren't the same anymore, broken. Looking forward to flying lessons? You were Quidditch mad. You wanted to be the best... Beater, was it?"

"Seeker," Scorpius corrected him tiredly, "I wanted to be a Seeker. I don't anymore, it was stupid."

"It wasn't stupid!" Hal protested and as Scorpius looked away from him he noticed for the first time that the others from the table were now in the doorway, within earshot. Scorpius felt himself panicking, how much had they heard? "c'mon Scorpius, haven't they already taken enough from you? Don't let them take your dreams too. Gryffindor need a Seeker this year, first years can make the teams if they're good enough like Harry Potter did. You have two whole weeks to practice, two flying lessons and I'll teach you in my spare time to give you a head up."

"No, Hal."

"C'mon, it'd be good for you to do normal things again, things you like."

"I'm glad you said that because I have homework to do, homework that is normal and that I like."

"Oh okay..." Hal muttered looking almost disappointed but Scorpius was more concerned with the four sets of eyes boring into the back of his skull, "will you at least promise to think about it? I want to help you."

"If I promise to think about it will you let me go do my homework?"

"Yes."

"Okay fine I promise! Bye-Bye now."

"Wait!" Hal hissed before he could turn and leaned forward to whisper in his ear, "the password to the Slytherin common rooms is 'Snape.' In case you change your mind or you want to talk or anything. Can you remember that?"

"Yes, I got it. Okay? Can I go now?"

"Sure, sure, yeah," Hal said nodding as he backed off and started to walk away, "think about it."

Scorpius sighed heavily and turned back to the Gryffindors, to his surprise he saw only Michael was left and he was suddenly very interested in a portrait of a sleeping man. Worriedly he walked over to the mudblood, trying not to worry over how much they'd heard. He didn't want anyone to know he'd been abducted, the way things were the bullies would just use it against him anyway. The one thing he was grateful to his grandfather for was that he had used his connections to keep Scorpius' disappearance out of the paper, he didn't think he could live with himself if everyone knew. The thought made him shiver.

"Hey," Scorpius greeted Michael who very obviously made a show of noticing him for the first time.

"Oh hey, didn't notice you there."

"I wasn't born yesterday. How much did everyone hear?"

"Not a lot," Michael answered awkwardly, "just enough to know you used to want to be Seeker and when you looked round a second later the others took off anyway."

"That's it?"

"Weren't you talking about that before?"

"It doesn't matter," Scorpius shrugged it off, feeling slightly more at ease that they'd missed the first part of the conversation, Michael didn't seem to be lying, "so library?"

Michael's smile returned as he nodded, the returned to the dorm briefly for their books and parchment then to the library. They practically spent the whole day there, Scorpius picked a table as far away from the other library-users as he could and only got up to get a book from the shelf, or the hour they took for lunch.

He actually found himself for the mudblood's company in the long run, Scorpius hadn't written an essay before but Michael had in his muggle school. Despite having terrible spelling and writing, Michael did have surprisingly useful knowledge on writing them. The structure, layout and language in them anyway, his magical knowledge was sorely lacking. Scorpius was still pleasantly surprised, he had a good day. He hadn't been kidding when he said that he liked homework, he liked having something to focus on so he didn't have to think or remember. By the time they went for dinner, their homework was practically done.

"So what do wizards do in their free time? A whole day of free time, I won't know what to do with myself!" Michael commented as they headed to the great hall.

"Don't you get free time at home?"

"Nope."

Scorpius did think that was odd but Michael didn't elaborate and he wasn't going to ask, he wasn't that curious or nosy. Much to his chagrin though, Michael sat down beside Albus and he was once again forced to sit opposite Rose. All she ever did was glare at him, it was irritating after all. None of them said anything about him wanting to be a Seeker, about the bullies or anything about his disappearance. He assumed Michael hadn't lied and they hadn't heard anything about it, or if they had they just weren't saying anything. He could live with that.

He did notice the bullies weren't at the table again, they hadn't been at breakfast or lunch either. Not that he was complaining. James was though, he seemed to be in a foul mood, barely looked up from his plate and if anyone spoke to him then he snapped at him. A lot of Gryffindors still wouldn't look at him or Michael, he noticed though. Molly did, he realized as his eyes found her and noticed her watching him with a thoughtful expression. He hoped he wasn't blushing as he quickly went to back to his plate. He didn't look up from his plate for awhile and when he did, it was to look at the teacher's table.

Varanian was now a readhead with a beard but Scorpius still hated him just as much, regardless of what Calderon said, Scorpius didn't trust the headmaster for a second. Calderon was there, he hadn't been at lunch or breakfast either. He was standing again, Scorpius was beginning to wonder if the assistant was even allowed to sit and eat like everyone else, he had yet to see him do it. Calderon didn't look well though, he looked dead on his feet exhausted. Scorpius hoped he was alright.

When they finished they headed back to the common room as normal. His path to the dormitories was again blocked by the bullies, minus James. The first year boys walked over to them, Scorpius tried to get by with the group but the bullies were having none of it. They let Angelo and Reuben up without incident but blocked the way for the final three, Scorpius almost sighed but they surprised him.

"Malfoy," the fat one spat and glared at him, "I. Have. To. Tell. You. That. I. Am. _Sorry_. For earlier."

"What?" Scorpius blinked in shock.

"You bloody well heard me! I'm not repeating it!"

"But don't think we mean it," the taller one barked angrily, "we still hate your guts. We just... have decided its in our best interests to back off you for the time being."

"Well... good," Scorpius answered awkwardly and they stepped aside, he felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

He almost smiled as he and Albus started to climb the stairs, before he realized they'd stopped Michael and the fat one hissed something into his ear. Michael's expression was unreadable and after a moment they let him go, he went up the stairs with them and refused to speak about it. Scorpius slept uneasily that night.

* * *

_**Author's Note: **Can I just wow, I was really blown away by how many reviews I got last chapter, it really means a lot so many people like the story so far! I am sorry this chapter took so long, busy day yesterday and I wanted this chapter to be the whole weekend but its getting really long so decided to split it in the end but bright side, next chapter is partially done so will not take so long_

**_Thanks to:_**_Diddleymaz, Vil89Six, Skywing17015, Guest, owlgirlie387 and Red for reviewing!_

**_To Diddleymaz:_**_Thank you for reviewing so many chapters. About the conductor/guard, I did some research prior to writing it and according to Harry Potter Wikia the staff of the Hogwarts Express consists of a platform guard, trolley lady and Conductor, I assumed the guard stays on the platform and the Conductor seemed like he'd be more in charge than the trolley lady so that is why its like that. Is that what you meant by guard? Also thank you for correcting me, very stupid of me to write aqueduct, I don't know what I was thinking! I did change it for that chapter to viaduct, I don't know if I wrote it in other chapters but I will remember that in the future_

**_To Guest:_**_Thank you, I'm glad you think it was nicely written and yes, you're exactly right. Calderon did sort of absorb his cuts and pain, glad you like him_

**_To owlgirlie387:_**_ Thank you for noticing that mistake, I did change it so it should make more sense now. It was piled with books and parchment like the desk, although in the picture I drew of his room the chair is rickety anyway! Glad you like it besides that anyway_


	18. I: The Owlery

Scorpius woke up early the next morning, not so early that the world was still in darkness but just before the others in his dormitory. He got dressed anyway and decided it would be a good time to send that message to his parents, he pocketed the letter as well as some owl treats and prepared to take Free to the owlery. He knew really Free should probably have been there already but he liked having the bird nearby, he stroked Free gently and fed him a treat before heading down.

He was actually relieved to see a few Gryffindors were also early risers, they pretty much all refused to look at him but if other people were awake then he was allowed to be anyway. Free squawked in his ear, it reminded him of the task at hand. As he started to walk to the exit, he notice Molly Weasley coming down the stairs from the girl's side. His stomach seemed to do a somersault again. He would have to get it to stop doing that somehow. Oddly the redhead noticed him and started to walk towards him. _Am I imagining it? _he wondered but she continued walking towards him, shooting Free a smile.

"Cute owl," Molly commented and cautiously reached out to stroke the bird, Free squawked in approval at the attention and her smile widened, "what's his name?"

"Free," Scorpius answered clumsily, "he's an owl. A white-horned owl I mean. I'm taking him to the owlery."

"Cool. Do you want me to show you the way?"

"Yeah, sure."

Scorpius followed Molly as she led him out of the common rooms and through the castle, they talked about owls while they went. She had an Eagle Owl that her grandfather had bought her as a gift when she started Hogwarts, she'd named him Hopper because his first flight he'd injured one of his legs and had to hop for awhile. She claimed he had rather an odd personality compared to the owls in the family, liked nipping the people that he liked and had a habit of flying off with extra bits of paper or occasionally forgot the letter in his enthusiasm to fly, he could fly faster than lightning, she claimed.

He was almost disappointed when they reached the owlery. There was a sign on the door that looked new and beneath it a bag. The sign instructed pupils to write the perch number of the owl they wanted to send a letter on the envelope of the letter itself, or an 'H' if you wished to use a school owl.. After that you were supposed to simply place the letter in the bag, at the end of the day someone would check your owl to make sure they were alright to travel and then they'd be given your letter and sent on their way. Scorpius had to resist the urge to snort in disapproval, by "check your owl" they should have put "check your mail because Varanian is a paranoid evil creep who should be fired."

"That's new," Molly muttered as she too read it, "guess that's the new rules being enforced."

"Yeah. How do you know what perch your owl is supposed to go on?"

"They put a sticky thing..." Molly answered and trailed off as she moved her hand up Free's legs. A second later removing her hand, he saw a small piece of paper in her hand that she glanced at, "yours would be 113."

"I didn't bring a quill or ink with me anyway, can still leave Free here and come back later."

Molly nodded as she led him into the owlery, he shivered at the shock of cold but quickly realized that the windows not having glass would do that to a room. The floor was covered in straw as well as what looked owl droppings and regurgitated bones, the walls seemed to be nothing but perches filled with owls. No sooner had they walked in then a fast blur shot towards them, it was an owl.

The huge bird - that he assumed was Hopper - dropped what looked like rags on her shoulder before landing her, he looked oversized on her shoulder and quickly bit her ear. Molly rubbed her ear and mumbled a complaint before the owl nuzzled her and squawked, Molly only smiled and started stroking Hopper. Scorpius noticed the owl was missing a toe on the leg Molly had said he'd injured. Free flew off his arm and excitedly flew around the room, Scorpius wasn't sure why but he was grateful as his arm had been a bit tired holding him all that way.

"Want to say hi to Scorpius?"

As she spoke, Molly stretched out her arm towards him and Hopper looked at him with his bulging orange eyes. The owl squawked and tentatively walked, edging itself sideways down her arm to her wrist. Cautiously Scorpius raised his hand to stroke him, Hopper peered at his hand for a moment before biting him.

"Ow!" Scorpius exclaimed pulling back his hand, it hadn't been hard enough to make him bleed but it still hurt. Molly laughed.

"That's his way of saying he likes you," she pointed out as Hopped flew onto Scorpius' shoulder and started nuzzling his face, "now you can stroke him."

Awkwardly Scorpius stroked the bird on his shoulder who seemed to give a vocal squawk of approval, he hoped it was approval anyway. After a minute he moved his hand away and Hopper bit his ear, screeched and nuzzled him again. Scorpius carried on stroking him and almost smiled, it reminded him of the Davis' dog, she loved being petted and if you dared stop she would whine and hit you with her paw. He went to looked back at Molly but saw she had moved over to the windows, her arms were folded and she was watching him a worried expression.

"Is something wrong?" Scorpius asked, moving over to her as Hopper flew back over to her shoulder.

"No. Yes. Maybe. Sort of. I don't know," Molly answered awkwardly and sighed, "this is going to sound really weird but... here goes. Have you heard of Divination?"

"Yeah, seeing the future and stuff?"

"Yeah. Its one of the subjects I picked this year and... well on Friday we had to try Crystal-gazing, looking into a crystal ball and trying to see the future. She said most people can't do it the first time but I... I saw something. I saw you. You were fighting this darkness, the darkness was everywhere and then you just stepped back and kinda stepped out of the window."

"Wow... well that's... different," Scorpius offered, not really sure what to say to that.

"I know. I'm not trying to freak you out but... its what I saw and it seemed so real. The professor said it could be metaphorical, the darkness is not an entity but an emotion or a challenge or something and then you... kill yourself which is... kinda just as bad as you being in danger," Molly told him and he resisted the urge to say it was probably nothing, Divination wasn't exactly a science but she seemed so troubled, "I guess I felt like I should warn you or something in case you're in danger from... who attacked the train or something."

"Wait what makes you think someone attacked the train?!"

"Well Calderon wasn't injured when I saw him on the train but he was after, I figured the Shadows attacked the train and Calderon fought them off or something. They retreated and one of them couldn't resist shooting their symbol into the sky and that weird message, that's why my uncles were investigating because dark magic was used and everyone's just keeping it quiet to not start a panic," Molly explained with a shrug, "that's my best guest anyway, feel free to me that I'm wrong, you have to know more than us as they questioned you too."

"You're... partially right. Shadows? That's the name of the gang who use that skeletal snake symbol."

"That's what the Ministry is calling them... that's why I thought they might be the ones after you. Hopper brought part of a report my father was writing on them - he works at the Minstry - the way he accidentally brings me things. No one really knows what they want or who they are but they've been to some seriously dark crimes and dark magic, they wreak havoc and just leave behind that symbol... its weird."

"It is," Scorpius agreed worriedly.

"But don't worry, we're safe here. Hogwarts is safe, protected," Molly said with a forced smile that faded, he had a feeling neither of them believed that though, "just be careful, Scorpius. I know I probably sound like a lunatic right now but I just don't want anything bad to happen to you."

"No its... sweet of you, most people wouldn't bother trying to help me."

"Most people wouldn't try to save a stranger from Slytherins, even when they offered you a way out and you knew I was a Weasley. Considering our family histories and... everything."

"It was the right thing to do," Scorpius said with a shrug, he didn't want to make a big deal out of it.

"Still, it was brave of you," Molly pointed out, "I meant what I said before about welcoming you to Gryffindor, don't think you've a lot... I heard about what my cousin and his friends did to you yesterday. But you know what? Gryffindors are supposed to be picked for their bravery and you have more courage and more right to be here than everyone who stood in that room and watched. And don't you forget it."

"Thanks," Scorpius muttered awkwardly looking down, he hoped he wasn't blushing, "I guess I can't blame them though, Gryffindor wasn't top of the list when I thought about what house I'd be in. In fact it wasn't even on the list. My dad is probably gonna freak when he finds out."

"Dad's can be like that sometimes," Molly offered and he looked up in surprise, "last year I tried out for Quidditch and got put as reserve Keeper to a seventh year, this year he's gone so I'll be the Keeper. I only picked three extra subjects so I would have more time for it. My dad freaked. Not sure he was more mad I hadn't chosen to do all five or that I was going to be Keeper but... yeah, I know its not exactly situation as you but I know what its like to be pressured by your parents, is what I mean."

"Wow, I thought I was the only one!"

"No," Molly laughed and Scorpius couldn't help but smile for some reason whenever he heard her laugh, "I think all parents do it in some way or another. Best you can hope is that even though they freak and get mad, they so still love you and will accept who you are."

"Yeah."

"And you know I'm sorry about my cousin, he's not that bad once you get to know him... he just doesn't like you very much I'm afraid. Albus and Rose are in your year though, they're not like James."

"Rose kinda is, if looks could kill I would be dead a lot."

"She's not that bad when you know her... she just doesn't like you very much I'm afraid."

"Yeah I got that."

"Its not its just that you're a Malfoy and our families do kinda have a history, Albus, James and Rose's parents especially. I don't know if your dad told you about Harry, Ron and Hermione?"

"He warned me against them," Scorpius told her with a shrug as Free came back and landed on the window beside him, he gently stroked the owl.

"Did he tell you that he used to pick on them when they were in school?"

"No! My dad would never do that, he's really nice-"

"To you?" Molly interrupted and he tried not to look furious, "you're his son, he's bound be nice to you but when he was younger, less mature and with enemy kids that he didn't like? People can surprise you how they are with others, until yesterday I never would have thought James was capable of... what he did."

Scorpius moved his hand away from the owl, considering what she said. He thought of what the bullies had done to him yesterday, how hurt and ashamed he'd felt, he still did feel humilated. His dad would never do that to anyone... would he? He had been a Death Eater for a time. Had his dad really been that bad a person in the past? The same man who used to read him bedtime stories and take him to Quidditch matches, the same man who put off working to play just one more game of wizard chess and buy him a chocolate frog when he was sick so he'd have something to look forward to when he got better, the same man who came running when he had a nightmare and sat with him until he felt safe enough to fall back to sleep.

But then Molly was right, his dad could be a good dad but a bad classmate, he was more than one thing and it had been in the past. It still hurt to think of his dad as a bully, had he ever made someone feel as bad as the bullies had made him feel? He hoped not, then again it was a cruel irony if he had. Would he pay for his family's past ills forever?

"Yeah, you could be right there," Scorpius said finally but Molly seemed to have lost interest and was scowling at Free, "what?"

"Those scars on your wrist, they look really nasty," Molly commented and Scorpius was horrified to realize he was stroking Free with his scarred wrist, his sleeve had fallen back giving her a perfect view. Hurriedly he snatched his wrist away and yanked the sleeve down forcefully to cover them, "I was going to ask how you got them but its okay if you don't want to say."

"I don't... I... not that... I don't... I..." Scorpius stuttered in panic, somehow afraid she'd just know what happened to him from the scars but she looked guilty more than anything.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you comfortable, its okay really," Molly offered in a gentle tone that did oddly put him at ease, as did her eyes, a beautiful sky blue, "relax, I'm sorry... Are we still friends?"

"Friends?" Scorpius repeated stunned, "you want to be friends with me?"

"You say it like you don't have any," Molly offered with a slight smile, clearly not realizing he had no friends at Hogwarts anyway.

Yip was his friend. The muggles were no longer his friends because muggles were evil. Albus had been very clear they were not friends. Michael was nice to him, did that make him his friend? He didn't think so, after all Hal had been nice to him and he didn't consider him a friend, besides Michael was still a mudblood and muggles were evil. The other first years were definite no's. Was Professor Ashain his friend? He might have said yes but he had a feeling the professor wouldn't consider him a friend, then again he did call him Scorpius now. Calderon? He might have said yes again but didn't think the assistant would feel the same. He hadn't interacted much with anyone else besides the bullies and they certainly weren't his friends. Did his owl count as his friend? Maybe. Was he allowed to be friends with a Weasley?

"Okay," Scorpius said nodding as he snapped himself from his ranting thought train, he offered out his hand, "friends?"

"Friends," Molly confirmed with a smile, "would love to stay and chat but I kinda have to go write a ten-page essay for Transfiguration."

"Okay. See you later."

"See you. And take care."

* * *

**_Author's Note:_**_Again sorry this took so long! Went way, way, WAY over the usual chapter length here but didn't realize until it was done so only broke it in half after I was finished what I thought would have been this chapter. I always write too much! So as a result here you go, next chapter starts off immediately after Molly leaves and wow they had a long conversation but yeah sorry, hope you like anyway_

**_Thanks to:_**_owlgirlie387, Diddleymaz, SimplyEcho and Aya Diefair for reviewing!_

**_To owlgirlie387:_**_ Glad you like all the stuff you like and no mistakes that you noticed (also woo!). About Rose, in my version of her she really takes to heart what Ron said about beating him and I kinda imagine Ron would be the most vocal about his dislike of Draco and Malfoys in front of his kids, as a result she kinda absorbed his residual hatred more and that's why Albus is more tolerant than she is. As to whether she'll come around, no spoilers, only time will tell  
_

**_To Diddleymaz:_**_Glad you think its good so far. About the Conductor/Guard train, that makes sense about the theme park ride, I didn't even know there was one let alone that it was on that website. That's very interesting about the guards, I had no idea they had that. Do British trains have drivers? Because tomorrow I'm just going to go back and change conductor to driver because I figure that will make more sense and I want it to be as accurate as I can to the book and the Britishisms that go with it. I'm open to constructive criticism and I appreciate your help_

**_To Aya Diefair:_**_ Had no idea you were the guest from last chapter, thanks for reviewing even if you weren't signed in. About the timeline, this chapter is Scorpius 5th day in his first year of Hogwarts. Although after the next chapter it won't be so day-by-day anymore and time will pick up. Hope that straightens things out for you! For now the days and chapters are as follows:  
Wednesday September 1st 2017: chapters 1-8,  
Thursday September 2nd 2017: chapters 9-12,  
Friday September 3rd 2017: chapters 13-14,  
Saturday September 4th 2017: chapters 15-17  
Sunday September 5th 2017: chapters 18-19_


	19. I: Sunday Stroll

Molly shot him a smile before leaving and Hopper squawked in protest before immediately landing on his shoulder instead, nipping at his ear as if to complain about the lack of attention. He shook his head and stroked the two owls for a bit, letting everything she'd said sink in. He couldn't help but feel oddly cheerfully that he had a friend now, despite her warning, he didn't know why he liked Molly but he did. He stayed with them awhile before giving them each an owl treat - he hoped Molly wouldn't object to his feeding Hopper - and heading off.

He returned to his now-empty dorm, it made him wonder whether he'd missed breakfast but he was too focused on his task to really care. He just wanted to get the letter sent while he was still in a good mood and not so afraid of being disowned, he wrote the number as instructed and set back out for the owlery to put it in the bag. He had considered just sending Free without bothering obeying the rules but he didn't want to risk incurring Varanian's wrath, he had kept the letter very short anyway so it wasn't as if he was giving away a lot of personal information. He was quite pleased at knowing the way, he was very determined to learn the layout and never get lost again. He knew it was irrational to be afraid that getting lost would get him kidnapped again but he didn't know how to stop the niggling fear at the back of his mind.

After he left the owlery he let his feet wander, it was a Sunday after all and he had no obligations. He just walked. It felt good to just walk, anywhere he wanted at his own pace. Freedom. He'd been a prisoner for such a long time, if he hadn't been handcuffed to a bed then he'd been handcuffed to Marvin to stop him from running off, he could only walk where Marvin made him walk. Even after, his parents weren't keen on allowing him out of the house for fear of something happening again. No one understood the novelty of just being able to walk. It was odd the things you missed.

He saw people as he passed but no one spoke to him, he was glad as he was enjoying himself. He walked for awhile, he wasn't sure how long. He made his way to and from every classroom he had to attend, he got a bit lost on the ones he hadn't been to yet but he did find his way in the end and after the second, third, fourth or fifth time, he was pretty confident. He also included the main entrance, the library and Calderon's room on his route, he included the great hall too but he'd missed breakfast by the time he got around to it - he was however the first to lunch and had finished before most people got there. By the time he was done with lunch he was really confident he knew the layout well enough for every room he would need to go to in the near future, it was a good start. He did find himself stuck on what to do after lunch though.

He decided the library would be a good a place as any, there was actually a book he wanted to check out. He noticed the other Gryffindor first years there, or at least Albus and Abby, his view of the second half of the table was blocked by a bookcase but he assumed Rose and Michael were there too. _Best not to disturb them_, he thought and selected a book to check out: "_Divination for Dummies_" which seemed the least advanced of the Divination books, he thought he should know more on the subject before he dismissed or panicked over what Molly had seen. He went to check out his book and noticed Professor Ashain checking out several copies of a Defense Against the Dark Arts books, for a more advanced class than his by the look of the covers.

"Want some help with those, Professor?"

"Oh Scorpius? _Thank you, _that would be great," Professor Ashain said gratefully as he stacked a number of them into Scorpius' arms and they headed off, "start of term, you need to check out all these books and check them back at the end. Seems rather pointless if you ask me, should just keep them in the classroom all the time or have the students bring them but no, they're older and rarer textbooks and harder for the students to get their hands on it, blah, blah, blah. It is quite ridiculous, is it not?"

"Sure," Scorpius agreed, the Professor didn't seem to be in the best of moods and he decided it was best to just go with the flow.

"I mean there are loads of ways around it that don't involve lugging books around a humungous castle, so much simpler ways but no, it has to be this way. Why did I let that madman talk me into taking this job in the first place? That stupid idiotic Varanian and his stupid idiotic rules."

"I hate Varanian."

"So do I! I mean, what the hell is he thinking?!" Professor Ashain continued ranting and Scorpius was somewhat pleased that someone besides him saw Varanian for what he was, "don't envy Calderon working for that guy, no wonder he's nuts! No sane person would be able to spend his company for long, he is just unbelievable. And I swear just because I spoke against him on that first night that he hates me now, I mean he was being completely irrational to you and Hagrid and somehow I'm the bad guy in this?"

"So wrong."

"Totally wrong! And what right has he to treat us like prisoners?!"

"Wait prisoners?" Scorpius questioned in genuine puzzlement.

"Yes! Oh wait, students didn't hear his new rules for teachers. Guess what? We're not allowed to leave the school without Varanian's _permission_. Can you even believe that?! And that's not even to permanently leave, this is for our free time! Even on weekends, even if its just a beer in the pub in Hogsmade or to visit your family. All staff cannot leave the Hogwarts grounds unless you go to Varanian, tell him your reasons and how long you expect to be gone - to the minute! - then wait for him to make his decision. I needed a drink after hearing that and you know what he said? 'Denied!' Can you believe that?! And if you don't comply then he has grounds to dock your pay or fire you! We're adults! How can he treat us like that?! Should just quit and go back to what I was doing before."

"What were you doing before?"

"Trying to die! I'd certainly be better off dead now!" Professor Ashain continued to rant but Scorpius felt an odd stab of pain in his heart.

"I wouldn't be better off with you dead," Scorpius said quietly and fearfully, "I don't want you to die. Please don't die. Varanian's evil but you can't just die and leave me all alone, we should stay strong together."

"I... I'm sorry," Professor Ashain offered, his anger seemed to fade and he looked guilty, "I'm just upset about this whole thing, I don't mean it, Scorpius, don't worry. I'm alright, I won't... you know. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"Its okay," Scorpius muttered looking down at the books.

"If you want to carry them, you could just do this," Calderon commented and Scorpius glanced up in time to see the assistant had just turned on to their corridor, he smirked and waved his injured hand. Immediately all the Defence Against the Dark Art books flew into the air, hovering around their heads and bobbing up and down to which he laughed shrilly, "you are both wizards, remember?"

"Oh yeah. Never thought of that, then again I'm not you," Professor Ashain muttered and scowled slightly, "I was meaning to talk to you actually, you said you would fix my phone so it'd work in Hogwarts and you haven't."

"Been kinda busy, Ticcy," Calderon answered with a tired sigh, "hand it to me and I'll do it now."

Professor Ashain fished a cell phone from his pocket at this, it was so odd to see someone dressed in wizard robes pull a muggle phone out of their pocket. Scorpius frowned, the professor was a pure-blood who hadn't even taken Muggle Studies so why did he have a muggle phone that he wanted to be able to use? He didn't have time to ponder it more as the professor tossed it to Calderon who awkwardly caught it, his one hand being on his walking stick didn't help. Soon as he did though and the books came crashing down all around them, Calderon winced and staggered backward into the wall.

"Sorry," Calderon apologized weakly, "little off my game today."

"Are you alright?" Professor Ashain asked with concern that Calderon brushed off with a smirk.

"Fine. This is nothing, Ticcy," Calderon answered and seemed to clutch the phone tighter, his expression turned to one of intense concentration. It glowed for a moment, got so bright it looked like he held the sun itself in his hand for a moment before the glowing stopped and his smile returned, "done. Will only get signal in the tallest towers though, if you're outside on the rampart. Or the owlery works if you're beside a window."

"Thank you," the professor offered as Calderon threw the phone back to him.

"You know I think we got this Scor, you can probably run along and enjoy the rest of your weekend, eh?" Calderon said turning to him.

Scorpius didn't really want to go but he felt they needed to talk alone or the assistant wouldn't be sending him away, he didn't blame them. After all he did want to ask Calderon about what he'd said or done to the bullies to make them leave him alone and possibly thank him but he didn't want to bring it up in front of Professor Ashain, the less people knew the better. He respected their privacy.

He nodded and said his goodbyes, picked up his Divination book and left. Returned to his empty dorm. The bullies had said they would leave him alone but he still felt safer in the dorm than in the common rooms, for now anyway. He hoped Calderon and Professor Ashain would be alright, he was becoming more concerned with the assistant's health and he didn't want the professor to get fired or quit... or worse because of Varanian, although he did agree the headmaster was being unfair.

He tried to put it out of his mind as he nestled comfortably onto his bed and dived into the book, it was actually quite interesting and he lost himself and his worries in it for a long time. He didn't actually stop reading until he heard footsteps, the other first years returning from dinner. He was slightly shocked he'd missed dinner, he hadn't realized he'd been that engrossed but then he had a large lunch to make up for not having breakfast. _Oh well._

"Umm..." Albus began awkwardly and for the first time in hours, Scorpius looked up from the book, "where's Michael?"

"Isn't he with you?" Scorpius asked, peering around the room and seeing only Angelo and Reuben. No Michael. He scowled.

"No. I haven't seen him since breakfast, he was going looking for you and I haven't seen him since."

"Well I haven't seen him since I got up," Scorpius pointed out truthfully, starting to feel worried. Sick even, as he was reminded of his own disappearance, "where is he?"

"I don't know!" Albus protested but looked as anxious as he felt, "should we... go look for him or something?"

"Tell a prefect," Angelo called over from his bed, "they'll be able to find him better than us, we haven't even been here a week yet!"

Albus nodded and went to go tell a prefect, only to return a few minutes later, apparently the prefects wouldn't do anything until it was past his curfew. Angelo and Reuben climbed into bed, unconcerned and promptly fell asleep. Scorpius and Albus however just sat together in awkward silence, every second seeming to drag by even slower than the last as they waited for the stupid clock to strike nine. Scorpius was reminded again of being prisoner, there was nothing to do but wait or watch the TV that Marvin left on for him.

"So... what's the deal with you and Quidditch?" Albus asked after awhile, clearly not as used to waiting like Scorpius was, "you said you weren't really into it but that boy said you were Quidditch mad and wanted to be a Seeker. What's the deal?"

"People change, people grow up. I'm just not that into Quidditch anymore."

"You can't just lost interest in Quidditch, you should take him up on his offer! You're mad if you don't, Scorpius."

"What happened to your brother being Seeker? You really want a Malfoy on the team anyway and sully the good Gryffindor name?" Scorpius asked, expecting him to retract his comment and shut up about Quidditch again. He'd decided he didn't like being reminded of something that had made him so happy in the past but not in the present, he hoped that was his reasoning for not liking people talking about Quidditch. If not then he was still struggling with his emotions, they always seemed to be two steps ahead of his mind.

"You'd probably only get reserve anyway but you should still try, you won't get another chance for a whole year. Are you really going to throw that away? And as to being a Malfoy... you're not that bad and if you can be good at Quiddich and its your dream then go for it, you can't succeed if you don't try and if you do fail... well you're just right back where you started, no worse for wear."

Scorpius was about to reply before he heard footsteps coming up the stairs, their heads jerked to the doorway as Michael came up. The mudblood was shivering violently, his face was whiter than snow, making his eye look worse. The left eye was black, as well as swollen from bruising. His clothes looked dirty and torn, his hair looked even more a mess than usual. He walked oddly and clutched his arms almost protectively around himself, he glanced at them briefly before started to limp towards his bed.

"What happened?!" Albus burst out.

"Are you alright?!" Scorpius demanded.

"F-Fine," Michael answered quietly in a croaked voice with a nod and tried to walk but they blocked his way, "p-please, I j-just want t-to go to b-bed."

Reluctantly Scorpius moved aside, he didn't know what else to do. Albus did the same and Michael continued limping over to his bed, he practically collapsed onto it and pulled shut the drapes. He exchanged another look with Albus, a mixture of worry and guilt and silent wonder over what they should do. Neither of them said anything though and finally they went back to their own beds. Scorpius pulled shut the drapes and changed into his pajamas, tried to get comfortable. Then he heard a sound, it was muffled as if they were trying to mask it but it was definitely someone crying.

He pulled back the drapes and looked around to see who it was, Angelo and Reuben still sleeping and Albus looking around the same as him. It was Michael, he realized, the mudblood's drapes were still closed. Scorpius didn't know what do to, should he go over to him and try to help? Then again, he had got the distinct feeling that Michael wanted to be alone so was it better to respect his wishes? Albus looked as torn as he felt. Finally Scorpius pulled back the drapes and lay back down, if their positions were reversed then he certainly wouldn't want anyone to know he was crying - let alone an acquaintance trying to awkwardly comfort him when they didn't even know what happened - so it seemed fair to give Michael his space. Scorpius still felt bad though. Michael cried for a long time.

* * *

_**Author's Note: **Okay here's the second part of the chapter and I know chapter length is probably less important to you readers but I try make them between 2000-4000 words so the length is more consistent so that's what I try make them and move stuff to next/another chapter if its way over like this one. By the way just out of curiosity who wants him to practice and/or try out for Quidditch? _

**_Thanks to:_**_Aya Diefair, owlgirlie387, pseudo-vulture, Diddleymaz and LOSTcharlie-claireLOST for reviewing!_

**_To Aya Diefair:_**_ To sate your curiosity, Scorpius didn't just send it because he doesn't want to risk getting caught and get in trouble with Varanian. Also Varanian put magic in place so that if an owl carrying a letter tries to leave the Hogwarts grounds then the letter just incinerates anyway  
_


	20. I: The Fight

Scorpius slept badly that night, if he slept at all he didn't notice and he actually felt more tired than when he'd gone to bed. He wasn't alone in having slept badly though, Albus looked as exhausted as he felt. Angelo and Reuben didn't, just went down chatting cheerfully while he and Albus waited silently for Michael, the mudblood's drapes were closed but he sounded like he was getting up. It was unusual at any rate, Scorpius had noticed the others didn't seem as fond of the drapes or concerned for their privacy as he was.

When Michael did finally emerge he was at least looking better than he had that night. The color to his face had returned and he was no longer shivering, obviously he now wore his clean and neat school uniform ready for class, most drastically of all though was that his black eye was no longer black. At first glance it looked gone but if you paid attention then you noticed around his eye still looked misshapen, the eyelid was partially closed and the eye itself was bloodshot. Scorpius cringed inwardly for Michael, he knew how much that hurt.

"So whose hungry for some breakfast?" Michael asked cheerfully as he started limping awkwardly for the stairs but Albus stepped in front of him.

"How can you act like nothing's wrong?!" Albus burst out frantically, "we were worried sick and then you show up looking terrible and upset and now you just want to go eat breakfast?! What happened?! And what happened to your black eye?!"

"I'm hungry," Michael pointed out quietly, "and I don't know what you're talking about so can we please just go eat?"

At this Michael started to walk again and Albus opened his mouth to protest but Scorpius grabbed his arm to pull him out of the way to let Michael by. Albus gave him a glare angry enough to rival his cousin's but waited for Michael to have left before speaking, Scorpius let go of his arm.

"Clearly he doesn't want to talk about it Albus," Scorpius said firmly, "if you keep badgering him then he'll get annoyed and upset and clam up even more, he'll talk about it when he's ready. Give him some time, he'll come around."

"How much time?! What if that doesn't work?!"

"Wow, you really have no patience, do you?" Scorpius commented to which the other boy scowled, "if it doesn't work then we'll try it your way."

"Should we tell a teacher or something?!"

"Tell them what exactly? We don't know what happened."

"Well... I..." Albus stammered and his scowl deepened, "I don't know! I couldn't sleep all night. I can't believe my brother is like this away from home, I mean he was always a prankster and he teases everyone but I didn't think he was a bully who hurt people."

"People surprise you sometimes..." Scorpius muttered being reminded of what Molly had said about his dad, "maybe he'll grow out of it and we don't even know if it was James who gave him that black eye and... whatever happened to him. I don't think many Gryffindors are happy with him right now and then there's Nott, he and his buddies are always mocking him, maybe they went further this time... we just don't know."

"I never thought of that."

"I know. So let's go to breakfast and hopefully Michael will come around."

"Okay," Albus agreed, seeming calmer as they headed downstairs, "but if he hasn't told us by the end of the day then we'll go to that Calderon guy?"

Scorpius half nodded, worrying again about the assistant. Michael, Rose and Abby had waited for them - well the girls were only waiting for Albus but Albus seemed determined to stick by Michael's side so they ended up going to the great hall together. Abby was talking about how nervous she was for Herbology as it was taught by her father, Scorpius listened but didn't take his eyes of Michael, the mudblood was still limping awkwardly. It was worrying. He picked at his food through breakfast but Michael seemed his usual cheerful chatty self, or at least he was pretending to be.

"What happened to your eye?" Rose questioned after awhile.

"Walked into a door, stupid things are so heavy and slammy," Michael answered with a forced laugh, "you know?"

"How are you managing to hide the bruise? It would be easier to just go to the hospital wing."

"Magic muggle thing called makeup, works every time. It'll heal soon enough, its just a bruise."

"So a door, eh?" Albus commented, Scorpius kicked him under the table and Albus took the hint to shut up about it as Michael nodded sadly.

No one said anything about it again although Scorpius didn't think any of them really believed Michael's door story. Michael was doing his best to hide the bruise though, he kept moving his hair over his injured eye and keeping his head down. None of the teachers noticed, for some reason that made Scorpius angry, they should notice that something was wrong with one of their students, shouldn't they? Wasn't it their job to look out for them and keep them safe?

Then again, the teacher's did seem to share Professor Ashain's outrage at Varanian's new rule. They didn't say anything and were still professional, did their job but Scorpius picked up their bad mood. They seemed to just be trying to focus on their lessons and Scorpius did the same, everyone seemed to be as Albus and Michael were unusually quiet all day. Nott wasn't. Any lesson with him, he didn't hesitate to continue mocking Michael for struggling so much with magic. It didn't improve Scorpius' mood and he had to repeatedly bite his tongue more than once, reminding himself to stay out of it. He was so relieved when the last lesson of the day was done, and not just because it was History of Magic.

"So I think when we get to the library, we should start with the essay Binns wants because that'll take the longest," Rose started saying as they left the classroom.

"We were going to the library to do our homework," Albus explained to Michael, "unless you or Scorpius want to do something else. If you want to something else that is totally okay Michael."

"Albus, they're not our friends!" Rose hissed to her cousin, "they can't study with us."

"Have to go to detention anyway," Michael told them and even Rose shared in their shock.

"Detention?!" Rose shrieked, "whatever for?! We've not been here a week and you already have detention?! Whatever did you do?!"

"Went into the Forbidden Forest... the headmaster _really_ hates that."

"You went into the Forbidden Forest?" Nott stated jumping in between them from behind and laughing, "gee I knew you were an idiot but doesn't _forbidden _in the name give away that its off limits? Oh wait, is that too big a word for you to understand? Wow you're so stup-"

Nott was cut off mid-sentence as Albus' fist collided with his jaw. The girls and Michael gasped in shock but Scorpius was impressed, he'd seen enough of Marvin's beloved fights to know a good punch when he saw one and quite frankly he thought Nott deserved it. Albus' eyes widened as he seemed to notice what he'd done but his fist was up in readiness to strike again, Nott's eyes blazed with fury and he launched himself at Albus. The two boys fell to the ground and tumbled down the last few steps.

Scorpius and the other first years raced after them, they were rolling around in a tangle of fists and kicks. Nott clearly seemed to have the most experience fighting but Albus was taller and stronger, Nott's attack had taken Albus by surprise though and he had the upper hand. Michael and Abby were awkwardly telling them both to stop but neither was listening.

"Malfoy, do something!" Rose demanded of him hysterically.

"Why?" Scorpius wondered as he noticed for the first time that their was quite a crowd gathering and Nott's friends didn't even try to help him.

"Because... I don't know! You're a boy! Do something, this is your fault!"

"How is this my fault?!"

"I don't know! Just help my cousin, you owe him!"

Scorpius rolled his eyes and drew his wand, wondering if everyone had forgotten that they were magical? With as much force as he could muster, Scorpius grabbed Nott's arm and yanked him away from Albus. Nott turned on him angrily, his nose now dripping blood but Scorpius pointed his wand at him and focused like he had before. Nott froze fearfully, Albus however got up and furiously threw another punch at Nott.

"No! Enough!"

Abby shocked everyone by calling out as she jumped protectively in front of Nott, it was too late to take back the punch though and Albus barely had time to look horrified before the momentum slammed his fist into the little girl's face. The blonde staggered back into Nott and the two fell awkwardly back into the wall, Nott violently shoved her off him with enough force to make her hit the corner. He went to move forward before stopping as he realized Scorpius and now Rose both had their wants aiming for him.

"Abby... I'm so sorry."

"Bloody hell, enough!" Michael exclaimed.

"I concur," Varanian spoke in agreement and everyone turned around horrified to see the headmaster was now watching them.

"They attacked me!" Nott shrieked immediately, "the whole lot of them! They attacked me, Headmaster! They attacked me!"

"Liar!" Albus spat, quite literally spitting blood out of his mouth.

"No they are like totally started it, thems are madmen," one of Nott's friends said.

"Learn English, you moron!" Rose snapped, "and Nott is lying, he started it!"

At that an angry argument started up amongst the crowd over who had done what to whom, Scorpius was actually surprised about how far from the truth some of them were. Some people claimed Albus started it, some people claimed Nott did, some people claimed he and Rose had been dueling with magic while the other two fought physically as well as having Michael and Abby cheering them on. People were just weird, Scorpius decided.

"Silence everyone," Varanian spoke without looking away from him and the students all went quiet, "with the exception of you six -" he continued and paused to motioned to Scorpius, Albus, Nott, Abby, Rose and Michael, "- please return to your free time, I believe homework should be your first priority. You are dismissed. Leave quickly lest you be punished too."

Everyone else started shuffling away hurriedly although Scorpius was more focused on Varanian, in fact his gray eyes hadn't left the headmaster's face since he had arrived. Varanian met his eyes, now beardless with short muddy brown hair but his eyes remained cold gray slabs of hatred, hatred that Scorpius returned unflinchingly. He wondered if the detention for Michael involved giving the boy another black eye or making his limp worse or... whatever he had done to him. He realized his wand was now trained on the headmaster and he had to force his arm to lower it, he remained focused though with his magic at the ready. Just in case he needed to raise his wand.

"Haven't even been here a week and already fighting?" Varanian commented acidly finally looking away from him to the others, "you are a disgrace. I should expel you on the spot, disorder is not tolerated in my school."

"Ex-Ex-Expelled?!" Rose stuttered looked terrified as her eyes started to well with tears, "I-I didn't... I didn't even do anything. Please, I'll be good. I'll be so super really good, please don't expel me! I can do better, I promise. I prom-"

"Silence girl, I said I should not that I would. And quite frankly I don't care who did what, you were all involved and being involved is just as bad as doing it yourself. You will all be punished. Looks like you get some help, Mitchell."

"Michael."

"Whatever your name is. Get changed into your non-school clothes and meet me at the entrance in ten minutes."

"Ten minutes?!" Nott protested, "how do you expect us to do that in ten minutes?!"

"I suggest you run," Varanian answered coolly, "by the way, if you're late then you'll be expelled and your ten minutes started when I finished the last sentence."

They all scrambled to get away almost before the headmaster had finished speaking, Scorpius was so glad he'd practiced learning the layout the previous day. They ran. They just ran. He thought he could hear the others' footsteps thundering behind them, he hoped so anyway but he dared not stop or slow down to check. He barely had time to register the looks of confusion on the faces of the people he passed, or in some cases had to weave around but he didn't slow down.

He yelled the password before he reached the portrait, not caring who heard, so he didn't have to stop to wait for it to open as he bolted up the steps. Marvin would be proud of how fast he got changed, it gave him a chance to catch his breath at least because his lungs were burning. He ran back downstairs and saw only Rose was coming down the girl's side, he almost ran outside and carried on. He knew the way, he had practiced it enough but... it didn't seem right to just leave the others.

"What... are... you... waiting for?" Rose asked breathlessly.

"Its... the right... thing to do," he answered between breaths, "I'd rather... be expelled for doing... the right thing then... stay for having abandoned everyone to save my own skin. What are... you waiting for?"

"I don't... I don't know the way," Rose pointed out as Abby and Albus came down almost at the same time, followed by the still-limping Michael, "that's an... odd philosophy for a Malfoy."

"I do. Follow me! All for one and one for all!"

Scorpius wasn't sure if anyone understood the last reference but when he ran they all followed him, they hurtled down the stairs and he almost ran into Professor Flitwick but gratefully didn't. He just kept on running. _You can run if you want, as fast as you can, as far as you want but you'll never get away from me. Not really. _Scorpius just kept on running. He only stopped when he heard someone cry out in pain and fall, looking back he say Michael was sitting on one of the steps in the corridor, clutching at his right leg with a pained expression. He ran back over to him.

"I... I c-can't," Michael gasped, "my leg... too... much. Go... without..."

"Didn't you... hear me?" Scorpius wondered as he looped his arm under Michael's shoulder and brought him to his feet, "all for... one and... one for all... means _no one_ is getting... getting left behind on my watch. Understand?"

Albus appeared on Michael's other side and helped the mudblood's other arm over his shoulder to help him walk, or rather hop on his good leg, similar to the other day except Scorpius had been the one getting help. The girls stood around nearby looking really anxious and uncertain.

"Do... you know... the way, Abby?" Scorpius asked of her and the girl reluctantly nodded, "then go."

The girls looked at him for a long moment, it was the first time since he'd met her that Rose had looked him without glaring, in fact she was looking at him like she'd never seen him before. There was no point in them deliberately staying behind though, they couldn't help with Michael.

"We'll put... in a good... word for you," Rose said, seeming to understand as the two girls took off again.

"You... should just... run too," Michael pointed out, "I don't... want get you expelled... for helping me."

"Oh... hush," Albus panted breathlessly, "not... leaving... you."

"You don't have to... didn't have to hit Nott either... doesn't matter... that your brother."

"I thought Varanian hurt you?" Scorpius said with a scowl.

"No... those bullies lied and took me into the... forest and... the fat one gave me a black eye then they were... doing stuff with... magic to me then James tried to... lift me up with a spell and only got my shirt... threw it into a tree... I was trying to get it and fell, hurt my leg and rolled down... this hill. Then Varanian... Varanian was there and the boys must of took off because it... was just me and he gave me detention in the... forest for the rest of the day," Michael explained in between breaths as they awkwardly carried on, "Varanian... wouldn't let me go to the... hospital wing or even get my shirt down until... until he said so... I was freezing... its so cold... and... he wouldn't let me stop... until curfew... missed lunch and dinner and said I had... to keep doing it until it was done... He told me not to tell anyone... or else."

"What's the detention?" Albus wondered looking confused.

"You'll see... I'm sorry... it'll hurt. A lot. Or... we'll be expelled and you won't have to... worry about it."

* * *

_**Thanks to: **The Beetle and The Speed, Diddleymaz, Miaoconnor76, Vil89Six and Skywing17015 for reviewing!_


	21. I: Varanian's Detention

At Michael's rather ominous and depressing statement they went silent, just focused on getting to the main entrance. They did move considerably faster than when they'd been getting Scorpius to Calderon, Michael could still take pressure on his left leg so he supposed it was easier. They weren't too far away from the main entrance anyway, Scorpius was both pleased and disappointed when they rounded the bend and saw Varanian. Arms folded and a scowl on his face, Nott and the girls were already there.

Varanian drew his wand immediately and aimed it at Michael's leg, he muttered something and a red spell shot out into Michael's leg. The mudblood cried out in pain but when he put his leg down, he didn't cringe in pain like he had before. Scorpius and Albus let him go and Michael stood unaided.

"You're welcome," Varanian spat irritably but Michael didn't look grateful, "now follow."

"Are we... are we expelled?" Albus asked worriedly as they followed the headmaster outside.

"Considering the circumstances with Marshall's-"

"Michael," Michael corrected.

"With Whatever-his-name-is leg, you're not expelled. This time. I wouldn't have told you to follow me if you were expelled, would I? Try use your mind not your fist every so often if you expect to learn anything Albert."

"Albus," Albus corrected, "Albus _Potter_."

"Whatever your name is," Varanian said dismissively and carried on leading them across the grounds, they seemed to be heading towards the forest.

"Starting to get why you hate him," Albus whispered in his ear and Scorpius just nodded, afraid to reply in case the headmaster was listening.

"Um... Sir, why... why are..." Nott babbled as they reached the edge of the forest, "we're not doing detention in the Forbidden Forest are we? I mean, didn't you give Michael a detention for going in their in the first place?"

"You're allowed for the purpose of the detention, clearly," Varanian answered shooting the terrified Nott a dark look.

"Please Sir, anything but the forest. I have a fear of forests, ever since I was four and-"

"Have to face your fears sometime," Varanian snapped as Nott stopped before the treeline, the Slytherin was shaking, "unless you'd rather be expelled and never be allowed to practice magic again, I'm sure there's plenty of muggle schools and jobs away from forests."

Varanian carried on walking into the forest and the other five followed, a second later a reluctant Nott ran after them. He still looked terrified and followed so close to the headmaster that he almost stepped on Varanian's heels, more than once. Scorpius hadn't really been to a forest before so it was an experience for him, the gnarled trees looked unusually dark but he thought the way the flecks of sunlight filtered through the trees was quite pretty. He almost tripped over the thick spidery roots and made a mental note to pay more attention to the ground, it was a good thing he did because he noticed what they were heading towards before the others who were looking around anxiously - except Varanian and Michael, they clearly knew where they were going.

On the ground were discs, or at least they were disc shaped but looked like they were made of an coppery colored stone. They were just slightly larger than a dinner plate and were lined up neatly, they were heading towards where the trail abruptly ended but stretching out all the way to the left were the discs. As far as Scorpius could see in that direction, he saw the discs.

"Everyone kneel beside one of those," Varanian commanded gesturing to the discs, Michael's expression was grim as he knelt facing the headmaster on the end disc.

"You want us to kneel in the dirt?" Nott said sounding disgusted but a look from Varanian silenced him as he raced over to the disc beside Michael, he still didn't look pleased as he knelt down.

Abby reluctantly took the one on his left, Rose on her left and Albus on her left, leaving Scorpius beside Albus. Upon closed inspection he saw that there were symbols on the discs, they all looked the same and reminded him of Runes that he'd seen in his Divination book. If he thought of it like a clock face there were small symbols at twelve, three, six and nine that looked like they're been drawn on in chalk. The one in the middle was the largest though, taking up most of the disc and looked kind of like an arrow pointing upwards and that one was thickly carved into the stone.

"Today you're helping me with this magic," Varanian explained, "as you will keep on doing every single day until its done then I will assign you a different detention. These wards are placed so that they completely surround the school and grounds, you will be activating each and every one. I will know if you haven't so don't even try lying to me to get out of this detention, which as I say will be every day when your classes are done until dinner time and on the weekends I expect you to be here at six am sharp and will leave whenever I say so."

"Six am is like the middle of the night!" Nott protested but went silent after another glare from Varanian.

"What you will be doing is placing your hand - left or right is not important, as long as its only one hand - over the ward, in the center as much as you can. You then say '_I Ecifircas_' and push down, the symbol will turn red and sink into the ground. You then get up and move on to the next available one, repeating the process until I tell you to stop. Maxwell will demonstrate."

"Michael," Michael corrected him again.

"Whatever your name is."

Michael sighed heavily and placed his right hand over the disc, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath as if trying to brace himself for something. He clearly and correctly spoke the incantation and pushed, immediately a burst of crimson light seemed to move from his chest down his arm and into the disc that sunk from his view. Dirt replaced it, it was like it was never there at all and Michael was left breathing heavily as he wrapped his arms around himself protectively, like he had the previous night.

"Simple, see? Now you try, Slytherin boy."

"My name is Maximus Nott, not Slytherin boy."

"Whatever your name is, not-not boy. Just do it," Varanian growled and Nott glowered in frustration but placed his hand on the disc regardless.

"_I Ecifircas_," Nott spoke and the exact same thing happened with the disc as with Michael, the difference was in Nott's reaction. The Slytherin screamed as the crimson flash appeared, he almost seemed to yank his arm away from the disc but it didn't budge and then when the disc was gone he clutched his chest and sobbed, "wh-what are you trying to do? T-Torture us? Th-That really hurts."

"If it hurts then it means it works," Varanian told him icily, "suck it up."

"Y-You can't do this to us, my mother and my father both work for the Ministry and there's... there's rules and stuff against this!"

"My school, my rules. Longbottom, its your turn."

"Soon as I get b-back to the castle, I'm going to owl my parents and th-they'll have you fired and arrested and throw you in Azkaban for this," Nott continued through his tears, it was the first time Scorpius actually agreed with the Slytherin although he knew full well that Nott's letter to his parents would never reach them and Varanian's smirk only confirmed it. Abby just eyed the disc uncertainly.

"Good luck with that. Longbottom, I said you're next."

Abby looked fearful but bravely placed her hand on the disc and said the incantation, she cried out in pain and pulled her arm even more forcefully back than Nott. It still didn't work though, it was almost like their hands were incapable of leaving the disc while the spell was being performed. It sunk into the ground and Abby whimpered, also wrapping her arms around her chest protectively. What was the spell doing to them? Scorpius wondered.

"My father can't approve of this," Abby whispered and Varanian's expression darkened.

"Breathe a word of this to him and I will fire him," Varanian told her threateningly and Abby looked loathingly at him, "but don't worry, there are plenty of good schools for him to teach at. Assuming he can speak French and enjoys living somewhere where the temperature doesn't get above zero, you'll have plenty of time to visit him seeing as you'll have been expelled and all. If any of you breathe a word of this to anyone then it is an immediate expulsion, none of you would want that, would you? You're next Daisy."

"Rose," Rose corrected him.

"Whatever your name is. You want to be a good student don't you? Didn't you say you could do better? Do it."

The last was almost a snarl and Rose immediately obeyed, placing her hand over the disc and practically yelling the incantation. She managed to not cry out and like Michael didn't try to move her hand away, he did notice her face screwing up in pain though and she seemed to be biting her tongue. After she was breathing heavily but looked determinedly and triumphantly back at Varanian, a hint of a glare in her eyes.

"Very good, Lily."

"Rose!"

"Whatever your name is. Alvin, your next."

"Albus."

"Whatever your name is! I can't be expected to remember you all, now just do it."

Albus sighed heavily and placed his hand on the disc, Scorpius watched with grim interest as now he was actually close enough to someone to see what was happening. Although bitterly he realized that in a minute he too would see what was so painful about it. After Albus said the incantation and the crimson sparked in his chest, Scorpius noticed the symbol in the center turning the color of blood as Albus gasped in pain and tried to pull his hand away. His hand wouldn't move until the symbol was completely filled, when it sank into the ground and the dirt took it.

"And finally we have your turn, Scorpius."

"You remember his name!"

"Silence you. Scorpius, go."

All eyes were on him expectantly and he thought he saw a flicker of enjoyment on Varanian's face as Scorpius placed his right hand on the disc, he swallowed nervously but determinedly pushed down on it, almost gripping it with his hand. He was used to pain, whatever it was then he could cope with it.

"_I Ecifircas_."

As he spoke the words he felt almost like something tugged at his heart from inside his chest, it was uncomfortable but not painful and only lasted a moment. He did notice the crimson flash from his chest but unlike the others it didn't travel down his arm, wrist, hand and make the symbol go red. It didn't sink into the ground either. He wondered what he'd done wrong and was about to try again before Varanian spoke.

"Should have figured that it wouldn't work for you."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Scorpius snapped glaring at the headmaster who had a hint of a cruel smile playing on his face.

"It means you get off the hook for this, will have to find some other way to punish you. Come with me. Everyone else carry on in my absence, I shall be back shortly with the blood-replenishing potion that you'll need. _Michael's_ in charge."

Varanian practically hauled him to his feet by his outstretched arm and led him away, leaving the others behind to suffer and call out in askance about what he'd meant by blood-replenishing potion. With a sickening feeling, Scorpius started to wonder if the blood-colored red that filled the symbol was in fact blood. His hatred for Varanian only increased, Michael didn't deserve that! Really none of them did. And why didn't it work for him? Scorpius wasn't sure whether he should be asking or waiting for the headmaster as he was led back into the school.

"They're right you know, what you're doing is illegal," Scorpius said finally, "you're not supposed to physically hurt students, you can't everyone silent forever, even if you turn this place into a full blown prison then people would notice."

"Oh please, its just for the purpose of the spell. I'm not a monster," Varanian answered irritably, "its not like they'll remember this when its over anyway, its not dangerous or anything."

"If its not dangerous then why don't you do it yourself?" Scorpius snapped and tried not to worry about what he meant about them not remembering or laugh at Varanian claiming he wasn't a monster, muggles had taught him that when someone had to defend themselves as not being monsters then they usually were.

"Tried. It stopped working for me and wouldn't work for Marius at all, that's why I'm resorting to using naughty students."

"Calderon knows about this?!" Scorpius said in horror.

"Of course he knows, who do you think helped set it up? He doesn't know about the students though. Yet."

"If I tell him are you going to fire him too?"

"No, he's too useful to me. I will fire that teacher you're friends with though."

"Professor Ashain?!" Scorpius wondered in panic and from the way Varanian smirked he had a feeling he'd just been tricked into putting the professor into the firing line, he mentally kicked himself.

"Yes. Him. But don't worry, I'm sure he can cope with losing his job and his home, going back to living on the streets again. Its not like he's the slightest bit suicidal and mentally unstable, or is he? Hmm... that could be an awfully long stay in St. Mungo's, locked away with all the other insane people will be healthy for him," Varanian told him and Scorpius felt his anger surge inside him, he actually thought he preferred Marvin's blunt outright way of threatening people than Varanian's, "ah, so you're not completely heartless."

"No, because I'm not you."

"Silence Scorpius, you don't know anything about me!"

"I know you're evil!" Scorpius couldn't stop himself from saying and the headmaster's eyes blazed with anger.

"Says the Death Eater's son!"

"You don't know anything about my family!"

"Actually I do, I know your grandfather! He's a cruel and evil murderer."

"Why, were you Death Eater's together?"

Scorpius hadn't really meant the question seriously, he wasn't even sure why he'd said it, he was just so angry. Clearly what he said infuriated Varanian, he stopped walking and moved his hand as if to strike him. A second too late, Scorpius realized the headmaster has his wand in hand. Scorpius felt some lash against his cheek and he was knocked back from the force of the blow, it stung painfully and as he moved to his hand to it he felt the mark it had left on his skin. Marvin had done worse to him but it still hurt. He hated Varanian so much.

"Let that be a lesson to you, not to say such malicious things," Varanian growled, his voice betraying his anger even as he seemed to be struggling to stay calm, "although I know that's hard considering you're evil."

"I'm not evil," Scorpius told him firmly angrily meeting the headmaster's eyes.

"Oh really? Do you know why the ward wouldn't accept your blood?" Varanian asked and Scorpius suddenly didn't want to know, "because you have a tainted soul. It only works with good people. Should have known, should have never let you into this school. You know your grandfather sent a letter to the school explaining you were missing, asked if you were found in time and not dead if you could still come. I hoped you were dead."

"Shut up," Scorpius whispered, caught somewhere between fear at being evil and anger at Varanian, the headmaster merely smirked and started walking again.

"I wanted you to be dead because the world is a better place with one less Malfoy, that and Lucius deserves to suffer, see what its like to lose someone he loves for a change, assuming Malfoy's are even capable of that."

"Shut up," Scorpius repeated, trying to suppress his anger. His fists were shaking. How could Varanian have the nerve to threaten him, hit him, taunt him and the headmaster thought _him_ evil?

"But you did survive, I bet Lucius was surprised that it was muggles who took you. I would never have guessed that anyway," Varanian continued, almost seeming to be enjoying himself, darkness danced in his eyes, "what did they do to you? Your father's letter wasn't specific beyond 'abuse' and saying to go easy on you because you were too weak and traumatized to cope with too much. Did they hit you? Did they touch you? Did-"

"Shut up! Just _shut up!_"

Scorpius seemed to literally feel his anger exploding from him as he spoke, gray light lashed out from him at the surprised Varanian. The headmaster was thrown through the air before either of them could react, he hit the wall and cried out in pain, his black shadowed followed him as he fell to the ground on his knees. Scorpius tried to ask if he was alright but his mouth wasn't listening to him, he was too busy being panicking, were wizards supposed to still accidentally use magic after they'd started Hogwarts?

Varanian angrily got to his feet, Scorpius blinked in surprise seeing the headmaster's eyes had changed color, both the iris and the whites of his eyes were now pitch black. He stalked over to him and raised his wand arm to strike him again, this time he used the spell with enough force to knock Scorpius to the ground. His check seared with pain and it had apparently broken the skin because he felt wetness in the wound, he reached his fingers to touch it and they came back crimson.

"_Never_ use magic against me again," Varanian told him harshly.

"It was an accident. You shouldn't have provoked me," Scorpius said somewhat defensively and in response Varanian raised his wand to strike him again, Scorpius was trying to decide whether to reach for his wand or brace himself when the headmaster's arm stopped. He blinked and his eyes returned to normal as he lowered his wand.

"Get up," Varanian said instead and without giving him a chance to reply, hauled him to his feet and didn't let go of his wrist as they carried on walking at a faster pace.

Varanian didn't seem to want to talk anymore and Scorpius didn't dare to speak but his free hand clutched at his wand in his pocket, the headmaster's face was still a mask of rage and he had no idea what was in store. He looked for the first time at his surroundings and realized that he knew where he was, one of the corridors near Calderon's room, they turned onto the corridor with Calderon's room and Scorpius was fairly certain of where he was going. Sure enough, Varanian took him straight to Calderon's door but didn't bother knocking and just barged in. Calderon was lying on his bed reading a book that he abruptly put down and started to get up as they entered, he ended up sitting on the edge of the bed facing them when Varanian spoke.

"Marius, he needs a detention. Find some way to punish him until dinner," Varanian stated dismissively and left without another word, slamming the door behind him.

* * *

_**Author's Note: **Okay this was another really hard chapter to write but is important and yeah it was too long again so either had to cut short the bit with Calderon or put in the next chapter so yeah sorry if its no good anyone who still reads this story  
_

**_Thanks to:_**_Aya Diefair (sorry I didn't thank you last chapter, didn't deliberately miss you out I just added the chapter before I got your review), SimplyEcho and Diddleymaz for reviewing!_


	22. I: Under Your Skin

"Sometimes I wish the door had a lock, if only I didn't hate locks," Calderon sighed scowling after the headmaster, "so what did you do to upset Pippy?"

"Aside from existing?" Scorpius wondered quietly and Calderon turned to him for the first time, his dark eyes widening in horror.

"Did he do that to you?!"

"Yeah."

Calderon shook his head, still looking shocked. He did stand and ushered Scorpius to sit on the bed, waving frantically in the air at the swarm of floating shelves that went over to him. He grabbed a cloth from one, waved his other hand at it and a quick burst of light shot out, a second later the thing was soaking wet. He pressed it against Scorpius' injured cheek, Scorpius winced at the freezing coldness of it, it reminded him of the lake water but Calderon only pushed it more against his skin.

"Just keep it there, pressure stops the bleeding and the cold numbs the pain and in a minute you won't even notice the cold. Sorry, Scor, some wounds can't be healed by magic."

"It's okay."

"No its not."

Calderon shook his head again and moved Scorpius' hand to take over holding the cloth to free his hands. Scorpius watched him try to yank the chair out from under the desk, with the bed so close there was barely enough room to get it out and finally the assistant seemed to give up and waved his hands. Magically the chair fitted through and placed itself down opposite Scorpius, Calderon motioned with his hands again and the stuff on the chair flew over to land on the pile of stuff on the desk instead. Triumphantly but exhaustedly he sat down, Scorpius noticed for the first time that Calderon wasn't wearing shoes, on one foot he had a stripey sock and the other was barefoot with a bandage wrapped around to his toes.

"How's the cold now?" Calderon questioned and Scorpius returned his eyes to the assistant's worried face. Scorpius realized that he had actually been right, the pain was numbed and so was his cheek, he didn't even feel the cold.

"Better."

"Good... So are you going to tell me what happened?"

"You already know what happened," Scorpius answered glumly, he didn't want to get anyone fired or expelled or whatever else Varanian was going to.

"More details would be useful," Calderon prompted gently and Scorpius averted his gaze, "look I can't help unless you tell me everything, well I'm going to talk to him about it anyway but knowing what happened from you would help. Come on, Scor, I helped with those bullies, didn't I? Wait, they're not bothering you still, are they? They should have apologized."

"No, they did apologize and said they'd leave me and alone. And thanks for that by the way."

"So what is it?"

"Am I evil?" Scorpius asked fearfully looking back up at him, Calderon just closed his eyes and sighed.

"He tried to make you activate the wards, didn't he?"

"It wouldn't work for me. He said that meant I have a tainted soul, that it only works for good people. Is that true?"

"In a way," Calderon answered carefully, "but you're not evil."

"How do you know?"

"Did the ward repel you when you tried to touch it? Like did it hurt you and throw you backwards or just not work?"

"No. It just didn't work."

"Well there you go," Calderon said cheerfully, "not evil."

"I'm confused."

"Erm... try thinking about it like this, it puts everyone into three categories. When you're born you're innocent and you have a nice, pure... metaphorically white soul and as long as you never do anything drastic then you'll have that forever. Those are the people the magic needs, it needs them to willingly give their blood. Now, if you however _choose_ to be evil and use dark magic, do evil things, namely kill innocents and forsake whatever part of you was good then your soul turns metaphorically black. Those people are the kind that the magic protects against, it doesn't really work until its complete but what it will do is repel any evil who try to touch it. Do you understand?"

"I think so," Scorpius nodded slowly waiting for Calderon to continue.

"The third kind are in the middle, the metaphorically gray souls and yes you could think of them as tainted. They're in the middle, they haven't forsaken the goodness in their souls and aren't evil but they have done something dark to taint their soul, for lack of a better term. Namely killing but only a bad person in self defense when you had no choice, that's what the letter said anyway but I don't think Pippy read past 'tainted soul.' You and me, we're the gray souls, neutral not evil. Does that make you feel any better?"

"Sort of... yeah, I guess being tainted is better than evil," Scorpius admitted and Calderon offered him a sad smile, he wondered if Calderon felt the same. At least he wasn't the only one. "So what do these disc things do anyway?"

"Ah don't worry about it, Scor," Calderon brushed it off and Scorpius tried not to scowl, he was going to worry about it anyway, "I told you, Pippy's just on a paranoia kick because what happened on the train."

"A blood sucking rune on weird disc things seems like something to worry about."

"If it didn't work for you, how do you know that it takes blood?" Calderon wondered with a frown before it seemed to dawn him, "he didn't try to use other students to activate it, did he? He wouldn't..."

Scorpius said nothing. He didn't want to outright lie to Calderon and deny it, if they did all owl their parents then the assistant would probably know about it soon enough anyway. Then again, he couldn't say it was true and tell him about the others in case Varanian took it out on Professor Ashain, or just expelled the lot of them, or both. He couldn't meet Calderon's eyes but his silence just seemed to answer anyway.

"I have to go talk to Pippy now," Calderon announced and was putting on his sneakers when Scorpius looked up.

"No, you can't!" Scorpius protested weakly, he was so torn. He wanted Calderon to do something to help Michael and the others but he didn't want to see what Varanian would do, he didn't want anyone's life to be ruined because of him.

"Scor, I have to. Stay here."

"No, wait!" Scorpius couldn't help cry out as Calderon stalked out with his walking stick, he hastily discarded the cloth and raced after the assistant, "Calderon please, I don't want to get anyone in trouble. Aren't you supposed to be giving me a detention? Please wait."

"You're right," Calderon agreed and abruptly grabbed a passing Profess Longbottom by the arm, "hey Nevvy, can you do me a favor?"

"For you or Varanian? Because I'm in not in the mood to do any favors for him right now."

"Just give Scor a detention while I go talk to Varanian, I'll be right back. Thanks Nevvy, I owe you one."

Professor Longbottom just sighed and nodded as Calderon carried on, Scorpius tried to go after him but the professor placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him. Scorpius angrily shrugged his hand away and couldn't help but glare at the professor, he didn't like random people touching him. By the time he looked back after Calderon, the assistant was gone.

"Well I think there's some pots that you could clean out, are you up for that?" Professor Longbottom asked and Scorpius reluctantly nodded before the professor's eyes bulged in shock, "what happened to your face?!"

"Bullies," Scorpius lied, "Calderon's dealing with it."

"Oh, good," the professor said quietly and started leading him away, "surprised anyone's giving you trouble, being Draco Malfoy's son and all."

"Well I'm not much like my father I guess."

"I guess not."

Scorpius would have preferred to walk in silence but the professor seemed unfortunately determined to be talkative, chatting about how he'd been bullied and it gets better. He supposed the professor was trying to be comforting, really he should be grateful but he just felt awkward. While Professor Longbottom was walking with him, his daughter was probably crying out in pain from the stupid disc things. He started imaging what would happen if the professor ever found out, he had been an Auror in the past after all and a Dumbledore's Army member. He imagined him walking over and saving Abby then coming back for revenge, killing Scorpius for not telling him and then going to Varanian. Somehow he couldn't imagine the Herbology professor beating Varanian, no matter what he'd been in the past, Varanian was clearly strong now.

They got back to the greenhouses and the professor set him to cleaning pots, apparently lots of the plants got harvested at the end of school year so there were plenty of new things to plant for now. Which meant a large amount of pots needed to be cleaned in readiness, especially the ones that would be housing different things than they had before. Scorpius just nodded and got to cleaning, he hadn't had much experience with cleaning but more than once he had helped Yip with his workload so the house-elf would be done faster to play with him. His father believed such menial tasks were beneath them, Scorpius didn't mind though, Yip was his friend and friends were your equals. Not beneath you.

He had expected Calderon to be back soon, dreading it even. His mind seemed to jump to the worst possible outcomes but he struggled to think of any good ones, he didn't think the assistant could protect the students without getting Professor Ashain. Assuming he could get Varanian to stop without expelling them all anyway, maybe Professor Longbottom would lose his job too if he objected to his daughter's expulsion. Calderon didn't come though. Time marched by, the sun set and Scorpius' hands were stained by the dirt from the pots but still the assistant didn't come. Finally Professor Longbottom told him that he thought Calderon had forgotten about him, insisted he was done for the day and suggested he go get dinner.

Scorpius nodded and left without incident but inside his heart was beating fearfully, what if Varanian had hurt Calderon for trying to stand up to him? He had said before that he would destroy Calderon if he turned on him. Had he meant that literally? Was Calderon hurt? Or dead? Or just fired? Or locked up in St Mungo's with the crazy people? Or Azkaban for whatever Calderon had done to taint his soul? He washed his hands and tried to wash the thoughts from his mind but failed miserably, he headed to dinner. Again several teachers were missing from the table, including Professor Ashain. And Varanian. And Calderon.

Scorpius didn't feel like eating. He felt sick at the thought of what Varanian could've done to them. He walked over to the Gryffindor table and was relieved to see Michael, Albus, Abby and Rose, even if they weren't looking a hundred per cent. At least they were alive and he knew where they were. They didn't seem to notice him and he wandered over to the Slytherin table, locating Nott who looked like he had been crying but was also alive. At least they were alright, he just had to worry about the others. He fled. He tried to walk but it was a very fast walk by the time he reached Calderon's room, he knocked and no answer. Reluctantly he went inside, it wasn't like the door had a lock. Calderon wasn't there. He was running by the time he got to Professor Ashain's empty classroom, his office was empty too and Scorpius wasn't sure where his personal quarters were.

Defeatedly he returned to the also empty common room. The fire was dead. He just went to his bed and lay down fully clothed on his side miserably, he lay on his injured cheek to try and stop the burning pain. It didn't help. He didn't care, he probably deserved it. It wasn't long before the others returned from dinner, Scorpius didn't bother moving, Albus pulled shut the drapes and the others sounded like they were going to bed. The lights went out and it went silent for awhile until the snoring started, only then did Albuse speak.

"Are you two still awake?"

"If 'you two' includes me then yeah," Michael's spoke out.

"I'm awake too," Scorpius commented also, a second later heard drapes being pulled back and then the other two clambered onto his bed from either side, "erm... hey?"

"We can whisper quieter if we're close together and y'know, you're in the middle," Albus pointed out, "don't want to be overheard so lumos us, you're the best at spells."

"We could just use the common room."

"The older kids are probably using it."

"Fine," Scorpius grumbled as he sat cross-legged on his pillow, the other two shut his drapes while he drew his wand, "_lumos."  
_Immediately his wand lit up the space, it was a bit cramped with the other two also sitting there. Unlike Scorpius both boys had changed into their pajamas, Michael's said 'Pokemon!' on the front and had a picture of some of the cartoon creatures while Albus' were just plain red as far as Scorpius could tell with the other boys hugging his knees to his chest. They were looking at him with horrified expressions. He was about to ask why but the pain from the wound reminded him.

"What the hell happened to your face?!" Albus exclaimed before he seemed to remember that they were supposed to be whispering, looked around nervously but the snoring continued.

"Did Varanian do that to you?" Michael asked and Scorpius nodded, "shit, that looks nasty."

"I don't know what it looks like but it does hurt. Doesn't matter though."

"Yes it does!" Albus protested in a loud whisper, "Hogwarts isn't supposed to use physical punishment on students, you're not supposed to use creepy rune stone things to drain students blood and you're not supposed to whip student's faces if it doesn't work on them."

"It's a spell, not a whip."

"Calderon has one just like it on his cheek," Michael commented.

"Well whatever, I'll put it in my letter to my parents. We're all writing letters to our parents, tonight, then we're gonna sneak out and take them to the owlery. Varanian will go to Azkaban for this, we just need to survive and go along with it until they show up. You should write one to your dad too."

"No, I shouldn't. But you don't understand, Albus," Scorpius said and sighed, he had to tell them about the real new letter policy, "it won't work."

"Yes it will, we have a plan and my dad's cloak-"

"No, Albus. Look... Varanian... the real reason for the delays has nothing to do with owl welfare, he's reading the mail. I overheard him the other day, he was trying to get Calderon to help him and when Calderon refused to then Varanian hit him the spell and gave him that mark. Varanian's not going to let you call for help."

"He can't do that!"

"Clearly he can and is," Michael sighed, "and I actually thought magic school would suck less than regular school. Least regular teachers scold you rather than scar you."

"What?" Scorpius wondered in confusion and the other two looked between each other.

"That's right, you don't know."

"This is what that spell does to us," Albus told him and reluctantly started unbuttoning his pajamas.

Scorpius opened his mouth to tell him to not to, he really didn't feel comfortable with random people stripping in front of him but closed it. On Albus' chest was the arrow rune symbol from the disc, it looked like someone had carved it into his skin with a knife. It looked like an open wound but didn't seem to be bleeding, it still looked painful though. No wonder Calderon had been so freaked out that Varanian was doing it to students. And now he'd probably died trying to save them. Scorpius felt sick.

"Wow," Scorpius managed as Albus started buttoning his top back up.

"Think that's bad, try it after a second day of it," Michael said wrapping his arms around his chest protectively, "you'd think the pain gets lesser but it seems to get worse and cut deeper."

"What are we going to do?" Albus wondered sounding suddenly hopeless.

"I don't know," Scorpius admitted sharing in the hopelessness.

"Well we'll have a lot to tell the girls at midnight anyway," Michael added.

* * *

_**Thanks to: **Diddleymaz, SimplyEcho and Aya Diefair for reviewing  
_


	23. I: After Midnight

The other two went to their beds after that, apparently it had been Rose's suggestion that they take it in shifts to sleep because they didn't the way to the owlery and weren't sure how long they'd be. Since they were no longer doing that, it was slightly pointless. Scorpius didn't bother trying to sleep though, he was too worried.

Instead he picked up his Divination book and went back to the section about runes. It didn't say a lot about them, there was a whole other subject dedicated to studying them after all but sometimes they could be used to predict the future which made it relevant to Divination. Unhelpfully though it didn't say a lot about their meanings, except that there were several different meanings for each depending on the context, it was open to interpretation. Then again, a lot of Divination was open to interpretation and Scorpius wasn't sure if it only applied to runes being used to predict the future or runes in general.

Midnight came all too fast and they went down to the common room to meet Abby and Rose, everyone else seemed to have gone to bed or at least to their dorms. Abby was curled up on the couch in pink pajamas while Rose was standing, arms crossed and a scowl on her face.

"Erm... did you forget the plan?" Rose asked glaring at him, "you were supposed to get dressed and bring the you-know-what and to not tell Malfoy the that or bring him down. And what happened to his face?!"

"Well there's a change of plans," Albus explained and motioned for her to sit as he filled her in on what Scorpius had said earlier.

"Bloody hell!" Rose exclaimed when he was done as he she got up and started pacing furiously, "Varanian's s psychopath! Reading our mail, injuring students, attacking staff, making threats and using those blood runes. What is he doing?!"

"I have no idea but we need a new plan."

"Couldn't you send the letter without using the owlery?" Michael wondered.

"Well yes," Rose admitted, "but Varanian's smart, odds are he'll have something in place to stop that from happening and if we got caught then he might figure out we know about him spying on us and expel us for it."

"Why don't we just do nothing?" Abby offered looking afraid, "if we just do what he wants and get through it then no one's dad is at risk of being fired, or us getting expelled. It's safer."

"We can't just do that!" Albus protested, "what if he makes us do something worse when we're done? What if he does it to some other kids? If he's doing all these things then what else is doing or planning? He needs to be stopped."

"Yes he does," Rose agreed as she stopped pacing, "I'm not quite sure what the blood runes do but I don't think spells that need blood are particularly good... and did anyone else notice that _Ecifircas_ backwards is S_acrifice_?"

"Calderon says he's obsessed with protecting the school," Scorpius spoke up miserably as his worry ignited again, "maybe its to do with that."

"Huh, only think the school needs protecting from is Varanian!" Albus snapped and Scorpius half nodded thinking of Molly's vision, maybe it had something to do with Varanian?

"It's a shame you're not allowed phones in Hogwarts," Michael said with a sigh, "we could just call for help. Don't get me wrong, the owls delivering is so cool but a phone is faster for just getting a message to someone quickly."

"You're not allowed phones in Hogwarts," Scorpius repeated, recalling Professor Ashain's having a phone. Would he let them use it? Assuming he was even still in Hogwarts and not locked up in some deep dark hole.

"What?" Rose questioned glaring at him again and Scorpius considered telling them about it, he didn't want to give them false hope though.

"Nothing."

"We could try using Floo powder," Abby offered before shaking her head, "oh wait, nevermind. Varanian sealed the fireplaces off from the Floo Network to stop teachers from leaving without permission, to took all the Floo powder too so he can regulate its use. Dad isn't very happy about it."

"None of the teachers are."

"Why do I suddenly feel like a prisoner?" Michael wondered.

"Because we are?"

"Not helping, Malfoy!" Rose snapped shooting him a glare.

"Nothing's helping because we're out of ideas," Albus pointed out and his cousin sighed, "let's just go to sleep and wrack our brains for some plan tomorrow."

Everyone kind of nodded in agreement and all returned to their dorms, Scorpius crawled into bed without bothering to get changed and just closed the drapes. Scorpius didn't think he would sleep at all that night but surprisingly it didn't take long before he was trapped in a nightmare, Varanian was yelling at him to dig a grave but hauled him out when he wasn't properly done and instead flung Calderon's body into the hole.

_"Don't look at me like that," Dream-Varanian sneered, "you're the one who killed him. Just like you killed Marvin. You have a tainted soul."_

_"I didn't mean to!" Scorpius protested looking down at his shaking blood-stained hands, "I didn't mean to kill him, I didn't even know I had! I thought it was someone else... he just dropped dead, I didn't... I didn't know it was me."_

_"You hoped that it wasn't you," Dream-Varanian told him as he hurled Marvin's body into the hole, "just like you hope Calderon is okay. Hope is for fools. Do either of them look okay to you?"_

_"I... I don't want to look."_

_Dream-Varanian snarled and slashed him with the spell, Scorpius was knocked to his knees beside the grave as his cheek seared with pain. He refused to look and turned his head back to the headmaster who was starting to walk away in the night, he vanished into the shadows because Scorpius could even try to call out._

_"So you murdered me, eh boy?" Marvin's voice spoke out and Scorpius felt a bony hand grab his wrist, "did you actually think that could protect you from me? You'll never be free, you're coming back with me."_

_"No!" Scorpius screamed as hands started to grab him and pull him down in the darkness, he struggled against them and started thrashing to try free themselves but they were painfully clawing at him and refused to let go as they dragged him into the all-consuming darkness, "NO!"_

He violently forced himself awake and saw only darkness, he managed not to scream as he clambered out of the bed and saw he was still in his dorm. His heart was still beating so fast that he felt like he could barely breathe, he had to get out. He needed some air. He had to get out. _You're a murderer, _his mind taunted him. He had to get out. There was no air. He couldn't breathe. He had to get out. His legs were running before his mind realized what was happening. He didn't know where he was going but he was going.

Scorpius burst through a door and was hit by a shock of fresh air, he practically staggered forwards and put his hands on the parapets to steady himself as he breathed deeply, trying to calm down. He felt sick. Somehow the whole time Calderon had been explaining to him about the tainted souls it hadn't truly hit them that he'd actually _killed_ someone, he'd recognized it some level but not on this level. He'd never really thought that he'd killed Marvin, he thought it was the man he'd ran into when he'd fled in terror, the man his parents had paid to find him.

He didn't think he'd done it. He wasn't even sure how he'd done it. But he had to have for his soul to be tainted, tainted by Marvin's blood. He was glad to have skipped dinner because if there was anything in his stomach he would have lost it. He'd hated Marvin. More than anyone, even Varanian and he'd always been glad of his death even if his body had freaked him out, if anyone deserved to die then it was him. It didn't stop Scorpius' stomach churning though.

"Gee, you nearly scared the life out of me!" a voice exclaimed and Scorpius glanced to his right to see Professor Ashain sitting on one of the parapets, "what are you doing up here?!"

"What are you doing up here?" Scorpius countered but was secretly relieved that the professor was alright.

"Phone signal," Professor Ashain answered holding up the cell phone, "so what are you doing up here in the middle of night? You're supposed to be asleep!"

"I... had a nightmare," Scorpius admitted and the professor's expression softened a bit, "I just... had to get out, get some air."

"Plenty of air up here," the professor muttered and motioned to the parapet beside him, "wanna sit?"

Scorpius nodded gratefully and went over to sit beside him, carefully but the wind was blowing towards them so it seemed unlikely they'd be blown off. The view was amazing from where they were, there was a sky full of stars and a gleaming crescent moon that was all mirrored beautifully in the water's reflection. It was oddly calming and he felt himself relaxing in the peaceful picturesque scene.

"It's nice up here."

"Last time I was here was for the Battle of Hogwarts, its much nicer now when you're not about to be attacked by Death Eaters."

"You were here for the battle?" Scorpius wondered in surprise and the professor nodded, "my parents and grandparents were there for that, my Aunt Daphne too. You know people always focus on the bad about my family but my mother and aunt came back with Professor Slughorn's reinforcements to fight, they could have just stayed safe but they chose to help. My father and his parents switched sides in the end but no one seems to care, they just care I'm related to former Death Eaters."

"Some people only focus on things like that, Varanian's like that. I think he encourages it in the other students."

"What was it like at the battle?"

"Chaos really, kinda terrifying although everything is a bit of a blur after my brother's death. I just kept on fighting even though I assumed I'd die, Brutus was the better duelist after all but I was going to do my best. It really was a haze of spells and light and explosions. When we had the one hour armistice I realized I was injured, I still have a jagged scar all the way along my right arm from it and I still can't really remember how I got it," Professor Ashain told him and almost subconsciously ran his left hand over his right arm as he continued gazing out at the night, "not so blurry after that, I was there for the victory. Cheered with the rest although I didn't feel much like celebrating with Brutus being dead."

"Brutus was your brother?"

"Yes, my brother the Death Eater. Well half-brother technically, we had different mothers. I kept thinking if I could just talk to him then I could reason with him, I thought I could make him see sense. That was not the case though. I tried to reason with him to change sides and he tried to do the same to me."

"Then what happened?" Scorpius prompted curiously but not sure whether the professor would carry on from the sorrowful expression on his face.

"Then his Death Eater friend said he was being stupid and threw a curse at me that cut my chest a bit and I used a stunning spell on him in retaliation. It was just a stunning spell but he hit his head when he fell, so hard there was a crack and then he was dead, just like that. Brutus flew into a rage and attacked me, I just kept using shield charms because I didn't want to hurt him. But one of them deflected the spell directly back at him, he was thrown backwards... right off that wall," Professor Ashain continued and gestured to one of the walls on the far side of castle, "it happened so fast. I killed my own brother when all I wanted to do was save him, I'd give anything to take it back. Never even got to bury him, they could never find his body but he couldn't have survived the fall. It's scary how easy it is to kill, I hate it, I hope I never have to kill again."

"Yeah," Scorpius muttered thinking of Marvin and shivered, "it is scary how easy it is. I don't want to kill either."

"Are you cold?"

"Yes."

"Do you want to go back inside?" the professor asked and Scorpius shook his head, "well here, take my cloak then at least."

At this, Professor Ashain pulled off his cloak and wrapped it around Scorpius. He'd been going to protest but the cloak actually was really thick and warm, he was colder than he'd thought and the professor didn't seem to mind. He offered him a small grateful smile and pulled it around himself tightly, it was a lot bigger than him but he was still glad for it. He gazed back out at the landscape, you would never have thought a major battle had been fought there, even if it was nearly twenty years ago.

They fell silent for awhile, the professor seemed immersed in his thoughts and Scorpius wasn't surprised. If he felt bad for killing someone that he hated, it must be a lot worse if you killed someone that you loved. He couldn't even imagine how bad he would feel if he'd been responsible for his sister's death, no matter how unintentional. Professor Ashain's soul had to be tainted too. Other teachers who had fought at the Battle of Hogwarts probably had to, assuming they'd killed anyone. Maybe that was why Varanian wanted children to do it, children usually weren't murderers. Vaguely he wondered who Calderon had killed to taint his soul, he didn't know a lot about his past.

"Professor, if you don't mind me asking... how do you live with it? Killing, I mean."

"Well I'll never forgive myself for Brutus but I don't know about the others. Knowing I didn't want to helps, knowing that I had no choice because it was always in self defense and if I hadn't then I'd be dead. I did the right thing and if I hadn't they'd still be doing evil Death Eater things, killing, destroying lives. Doing the right thing isn't easy sometimes but it is still right, necessary, if you don't have the courage to then how can you expect other people to? You have to stand up for what believe in sometimes, if you don't then who will?"

"Can I ask you another question?"

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, Scorpius."

"Do you know anything about runes? Like these runes that take your blood."

"Erm... Interesting question," Professor Ashain commented and scowled slightly as he shivered, "its more advanced magic than you need to worry about, its rare and powerful magic but with power comes danger. By imbuing it with your blood, you imbue it with your power, link it to your very soul which can have disastrous consequences. There's a thin line between it and dark magic, depending on the specifics because some don't just need blood but require the blood of someone dying or will only work at full capacity if the blood-giver dies or when activated will kill the blood-giver. The only catch is the blood must be given willingly, there's usually something you have to say to make the rune take your blood so it can be argued its not really dark if the person is willing and depending on the magic must have a pure soul, although once linked if the blood-giver is corrupted then so is the magic. That's all I know really, like I say its rare and quite old. Not used these days. Why do you ask?"

"I just... saw something about it somewhere and I was curious," Scorpius lied guiltily but he couldn't tell the professor the truth, Varanian's threats hung in his mind and Calderon could still be hurt or dead, "you know how you have that phone?"

"Yeah..." the professor said slowly drawing the phone to him protectively as he shivered again, "what about it?"

"I just wondered... if I could perhaps maybe use it."

"Why? You realize it only calls muggles who also have phones and you have the right number."

"I know how it works... its for my friend, well not really my friend but we sort of get along. Michael, and he misses his family and he can't contact them because they're muggles, letters just aren't the same, I wondered if I could just borrow it so he can make a call," Scorpius invented and was again stabbed by guilt at lying but what choice did he have? When the truth was out he'd apologize and Professor Ashain should understand, he was just trying to protect everyone, "would that be okay?"

"I'm sorry, Scorpius but I really can't. I'm not even supposed to have it, if Varanian found out then he'd probably fire me on the spot because he really doesn't like me and likes his rules to be obeyed."

"Varanian wouldn't find out, he won't say anything to him and neither would I."

"I'm sorry. I can't risk it, I need it and I need the same number so I can't lose it," Professor Ashain stated more firmly shaking his head and for a dark second Scorpius considered threatening to tell Varanian if he didn't let him use it, he stopped himself though. He didn't want to get the phone the same way Varanian got what he wanted, by threatening someone, especially someone he liked. Then he'd be just as Varanian, he'd deserve to have a tainted soul, "tell your friend to hang in there, he can always go home at Christmas and he'll see his family then, he's lucky to have that."

"It's okay. It was just a thought. I'm glad you're okay."

"Scorpius, I told you that I'm fine really, I won't-"

"No, not that I just... I was worried when you weren't at dinner, I was scared Varanian had done something to you and Calderon."

"I wasn't at dinner because I just lost track of time here and Calderon isn't always at dinner, he doesn't actually eat anyway, just there in case Varanian needs him. And Varanian wouldn't do anything to us, he's not some psychotic murderer, he's just not a nice person. In my opinion," Professor Ashain explained and Scorpius felt oddly abashed but still worried about Calderon regardless, "besides, I'm an ex-Auror and Calderon is easily one of the most powerful wizards I've ever met, if not the most and Varanian... I actually don't know much about his past but I'm pretty sure we can take care of ourselves. You don't need to worry about us and if you can try not break the rules then you won't need to worry about Varanian either, unless you know something I don't."

"I'll try," Scorpius sighed, there was no point arguing.

"That's a nasty wound you got. If I'm not mistaken then the spell that does that doesn't like being magically, on the contrary if you even try then the wound worsens. Nasty."

"It was bullies. Calderon is dealing with it."

"He has a wound just like it."

"Maybe those kids got him too."

"Maybe," the professor muttered and shivered again, "are you feeling any better? You don't look terrified anymore."

"Talking to you helped. Took my mind of it. Thank you by the way, lot of teachers probably would have given me a detention, deducted a million points from the house and dragged me back to bed."

"Well... it seems kinda cruel to punish someone for having a nightmare but you really should try other methods of calming yourself rather than running around the castle in the middle of the night," Professor Ashain pointed out and Scorpius nodded, they did agree on that at least, "you ready to go back yet?"

"Okay," Scorpius agreed and started to head back to the steps but the professor didn't follow, instead looking back down at his phone, "aren't you coming?"

"Just one more minute. In case she calls, y'know?"

"Its after midnight, whose going to call so late?"

"Fine," the professor sighed and reluctantly followed, a look of misery crossing his face as he pocketed the phone, "I'll take you back to your common room."

Scorpius handed him back the cloak and followed as Professor Ashain led him down the tower steps, he was glad because he actually wasn't too sure where he was. Things did start to look more familiar as they walked though but only vaguely, he'd ran further than he'd thought. After a few minutes he heard footsteps and had his wand in hand even as he moved closer to the professor, a second later Varanian rounded the corridor and Professor Ashain almost protectively positioned himself between them as the headmaster's eyes narrowed angrily.

"What the hell?" Varanian questioned glaring, Scorpius noticed that he too had his wand in his hand. His blood-stained hands, "why are you roaming the corridors in the middle of the night with a first year student?"

"I wanted to stretch my legs and I found him. Sleepwalking," Professor Ashain lied, "had to wake him up with a spell, poor boy got really lost so I'm taking him back to his common room. You have a problem with that?"

"Yes. I don't like either of you and its awfully suspicious."

"Why are you wandering around with hands covered in blood?" the professor countered and Varanian's eyes narrowed, his hand wand twitched as if he was literally itching to use it, "that's more suspicious."

"I don't have to answer to you."

"Fine, I'll just ask the Board why the headmaster was wandering around in the middle of night with hands covered in blood. You answer to them, right?"

"It's not blood its potion! Used the wrong concentration and the thing blew up, I'm going to get some more ingredients. I changed clothes but didn't wash my hands. Satisfied? So be silent and speak to me like that again and you will regret it," Varanian snarled furiously, "ten points from Gryffindor for you, Scorpius and a week's pay from you, Ashain."

"What?! You can't dock my pay for being up, since when do teacher's have curfew?!"

"Well now you're on probation for being under suspicion of lying to protect or aid misbehaving student, being under probation gives you a curfew. I'll have Marius give you a list of the requirements first thing tomorrow or in a few hours since its so late, break any of them and its your job. You can go now."

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**_Thanks to: _**_Guest and Beccax95 (yes they did kill someone) for reviewing!_


	24. I: The Accident

As soon as Varanian was out of earshot, Professor Ashain started grumbling some rather colorful curses under his breath about the headmaster for the rest of the journey. Scorpius didn't blame him, it did seem unnecessarily unfair and he felt kinda bad for getting him in trouble. He did feel a better about Calderon though, if Varanian was having him deliver a list then he at least was alive. They bade each other goodnight at the plump lady's portrait, Scorpius returned to his bed and quickly fell into a blissfully dreamless sleep until it was time to get up.

Albus was in exceptionally low spirits that morning, Michael was more cheerful but Scorpius had a feeling he was just the kind of person who was good at putting on a brave face. At breakfast he found himself again sitting with them along with Abby and Rose, both of whom were in similar spirits to Albus and no one had any fresh ideas for how to get the word out about Varanian. Professor Ashain and Calderon were both amongst those absent for breakfast, Varanian was there though. He was now sporting long black hair and talking to Professor McGonagall who seemed to be arguing with him, she looked furious and more than once gestured in Scorpius' direction for some reason.

Scorpius didn't have a good day lesson wise, he got sick of people asking him what happened to his face and having to stick to his lie, it didn't help that the wound continued to sear painfully for no apparent reason. Herbology was the first lesson and he regretted being between Michael and Abby, the girl let her hair flow loose rather than in a braid as usual to hide the bruise from Albus' accidental punch and still would barely raise her head to look at her father. Her awkwardness made him uncomfortable and he did feel bad for her, he tried to be nice to her and she seemed surprised but oddly Scorpius found that they did get along well enough and by the end of the lesson she seemed more at ease.

Defense Against the Dark Arts was unusually impractical, just telling them to read a chapter while he sat at his desk reading sheets of parchment and scowling at them. Scorpius wasn't sure whether that was Varanian's list of his probation rules, if it was then there were an awful lot of rules. Then again Varanian liked rules. Nott wasn't mocking Michael for once though, that was good. Disappointingly Calderon also wasn't at lunch, Scorpius had started assuming he was alive but feared for his health. After lunch was Transfiguration, usually he actually enjoyed the subject despite the fact most of the rest of the class thought it was difficult but the first thing Professor McGonagall said ruined the whole lesson for him.

"Mr Malfoy, I need to see you after class," she announced before starting talking about the subject matter. He spent the whole lesson worrying about it, wondering what she could want or what he'd possibly done to offend her, he was easily the best in class and quite liked her as teacher, he didn't want to be on her bad side. Or Professor Flitwick's because staying to talk to her would inevitably make him late for Charms.

"Good luck, mate," Michael offered clapping on the back as they were dismissed, the others all began filing out and Scorpius reluctantly walked over to Professor McGonagall, who was standing in front of her desk with her arms folded expectantly.

"You wanted to see me, Professor?"

"Indeed I did. I think you know what about," Professor McGonagall prompted but he hadn't a clue.

"I'm sure I don't, Professor. Did I do something wrong?"

"It's about your injury of course, the one across your face that you may notice if you look in a mirror."

"It was just some bullies. Calderon's dealing with it," Scorpius lied mechanically, hating how easily the words passed his lips.

"Hmm..." the professor mused but didn't look convinced, "tell me, do you know what subjects Varanian taught before becoming the Headmaster?"

"No, Professor."

"Defense Against the Dark Arts and Alchemy. Do you know what was his signature spell that he taught in Defense Against the Dark Arts?"

"No, Professor," Scorpius repeated, trying not to frown as he wondered where this was going.

"The same one that was used to mark your face. Its a very nasty spell, I had to ban him from letting students practice it on each other because he believed it was the best way for them to master it."

"Well I guess the person who did this to me was probably taught it by him then."

"Marius has an identical injury to you. How do you suppose he got that?"

"I don't know, Professor. You'd have to ask Calderon."

"I have," Professor McGonagall said sounding slightly irritated before she sighed, "look, Mr Malfoy, physically injuring a student is a gross breech of Hogwarts policy, Ministry regulations and not to mention basic Wizarding rights. Its very serious, regardless of the position of the teacher who committed the atrocity. If anyone did that to you then I would urge to come forward, no one has the right to do that to you and you needn't be afraid. You can trust me, I can protect you."

"It was bullies, Professor, just bullies," Scorpius lied again even though the professor still looked disbelieving.

"I can't do anything if don't talk to me, Scorpius. You don't have to protect him," she prompted gently.

"I'm sorry, Professor," Scorpius apologized and she looked disappointed, he couldn't tell her though, she didn't know about Varanian spying on the mail and if he found out that she knew then she could be in danger too, "but it was bullies."

"Very well," Professor McGonagall sighed before her usual demeanor returned, "best be on your way then. Be careful."

Scorpius nodded and left, hurrying along to his Charms lesson quickly and trying not to feel bad for lying to her when she was trying to help him. Maybe one day she would understand that it was for her own protection, Varanian had used the spell on Calderon despite the fact he was an adult and put Professor Ashain on probation so he wasn't beyond making his own staff's lives a misery as well as the students he was using for his spell. He got the impression that she suspected what Varanian had done to him and Calderon but couldn't prove it meaning he likely hadn't told her, she would need proof because it was a serious thing to accuse the headmaster of.

He was grumbling Professor Ashain's curses about Varanian under his breath by the time he reached Charms, he truly despised the man. Professor Flitwick wasn't particularly angry at him at least, accepting that it wasn't really his fault as Professor McGonagall had wished to speak him so he wasn't in trouble although annoyingly he did ask what had happened to his face, Scorpius just wanted to scream for everyone to shut up about it. He didn't though, kept his lies polite and short.

They were doing about a levitation charm, involving trying to make a feather fly. He sat down beside Michael, who had saved him his favorite seat in the corner, Scorpius was grateful. Michael was having about as much luck with it as usual, oddly enough Rose also was struggling which seemed to be frustrating her immensely. Others in the room were having more success than her, although Albus and Abby also failing at it but then they didn't seem to be trying very hard.

All four of them were close enough to him to hear the professor telling him what they were doing, they stopped to listen too. Scorpius propped his stinging cheek on his hand and listened carefully until the professor was done talking and moved away. He very carefully repeated the incantation, willing the feather to move and waved his wand precisely the way that Professor Flitwick had described, each spell he taught seemed to have a slightly different movement. The feather obediently rose into the air, lazily he moved his wrist and feather followed up and down, left and right. It wasn't hard.

"Damn, you make that look easy," Michael muttered with a scowl, "I really suck at all of this stuff. You'd never think that before everyone thought I was a freak because all these weird things used to happen around me, stuff I know now was magic, and it was actually magic. And it happened all the time, things used to catch fire if I was scared - singed Jason Croner's eyebrows off once when he took my little's sister's favorite toy. Lots of other things also, made my stepdad piss rubies too, not pleasant apparently. Now I can't do anything, the more I try the more I fail."

"You've only been here a week, you'll get the hang of it," Abby offered comfortingly from Michael's other side, "we all will, Scorpius makes it look effortless but the rest of us don't think its so easy either."

"It's not _easy_," Scorpius said somewhat defensively, "it took months of concentrating and focusing to get any kind of useful control of magic, I literally spent all my free time on it, I would keep myself awake so long that my eyes hurt to practice because I knew it was the only chance I had. I think that's the only reason I'm good at any of this, so don't feel bad, feel grateful that you get to be normal."

"Sorry," Michael offered and Scorpius realized the four were looking at him oddly, he regretted having spoken immediately, "I just wish that stupid feather would fly."

"Just do this, _Wingardium Leviosa!_"

Scorpius sat up and back as he spoke and almost violently swished his wrist in frustration, somehow he'd thought that if they just saw him do it then they'd be able to do it too and shut up about him being good at spells. The feather didn't float though. The table did, he fell backward of his stool as it violently jerked upwards. He heard people crying out in panic and someone screamed, it was only as he got back up to his feet that he saw why. He hadn't just made his table rise, he'd made _all_ the tables in the room rise and all the stools not at his table too, carrying the students seated on them with them. Standing had made it worse, the table had risen higher and he assumed the others had too by more cries of panic. One girl was still screaming. Scorpius just froze as the room was filled with people shrieking to be put down and yelling for help. _What the hell have I done?!_

"And you want us to do that?" Michael commented trying not to laugh, Albus had less control and burst out laughing as did some of the others from the table behind that Rose was at.

"It's not funny, Al!" Rose shrieked and whacked her cousin round the head with a book, "put them down, Malfoy! Put them down right now!"

"I didn't do it on purpose!" Scorpius called out in panic as he raised his wand to try to lower them but only succeeded in raising them higher before he unthinkingly flung his arm downwards.

"Very slowly l-" Professor Flitwick had started to say looking panicked but it was too late.

Immediately as he lowered his arm, everything and everyone came crashing down. Tables were smashed from the force that they hit the solid stone ground, stools were practically torn apart and the students hit the ground like rag dolls. No one was laughing now. No one spoke. Scorpius saw some of the positions they'd landed in, some twisted limbs that were probably broken, cuts from broken pieces of wood. Some people started crying out for help, some people actually started crying. He was horrified. _What have I done?_

"Someone get Madam Pomfrey, now!" Professor Flitwick demanded immediately heading over to the injured students as more than one person ran to get help.

"Professor, I didn't mean to. I swear," Scorpius babbled fearfully running over to him, "I didn't mean to, I didn't, I swear I didn't."

"Not now. Need to help the injured."

"Professor, I may not know a lot about magic but I know a lot about first aid, I can-" Michael started to say appearing on the professor's other side but bolted towards one girl who was trying to free her shoulder from being impaled on a jagged piece of broken stool, "no, no, don't do that. It'll make it bleed more and do more damage internally, leave it for now. Here just put pressure around the wound, one of you get over here and help her with this!"

Abby rushed over at Michael's side as ripped off the sleeve of the girl's uninjured arm and started using it to press around the wound, he got Abby to take over and started checking the girl near her. By the time Professor Flitwick reached them, Michael was ordering about the other uninjured students and telling the injured what to do and to stay calm. Michael seemed to be in his element, whatever he was doing had to be right because the professor didn't tell him to stop or that he'd done something wrong.

Professor Flitwick started helping out where he could, going to the most seriously injured first and using some spells to help ease the internal bleeding mostly he said. Scorpius could barely believe it, not five minutes ago the class had full of lively students now they were all broken and bleeding from falling at least the height of two story window. _He_ had done it. _His_ wand. _His_ spell. _His_ magic. Maybe he was evil. Without even trying he managed to hurt and kill, he dreaded to think what he was capable if he wanted to do bad.

"Scorpius!" Michael called, snapping him from his daze and he saw Michael trying to put pressure on a Hufflepuff boy's bleeding shoulder with a large chunk of ripped cloak, "come over here, help me with this. Just hold this here, put pressure on the wound."

"No!" the injured boy screamed as Scorpius went to help, "you've done enough! Get someone else please, not him!"

"I want to help," Scorpius protested feeling hurt by the anger in the boy's eyes, although he supposed he couldn't blame him.

Before Michael could reply, Madam Pomfrey arrived with a cluster of other nurse personnel and he immediately launched into an explanation of who was injured and how and what was more serious. She looked incredibly surprised by this, she probably wasn't used to hearing a break down about injured pupils by a first year. When he was finished she just looked at Professor Flitwick in askance.

"What he said," the professor told her and she nodded and took charge, tending to the injured and having everyone brought to the hospital wing.

"I want to help," Scorpius said quietly to no one in particular, feeling very apart from everything else.

"If you want to help then bring Marius Calderon here," Professor Flitwick commented and Scorpius realized the small man was beside him.

Scorpius didn't need telling twice. He ran, leaping over the ruins of a table to get to the door and ran the whole way to Calderon's room. Breathlessly he knocked on the door and got no reply, he hammered his fists against the door as he caught his breath, if Calderon wasn't there then he didn't have a clue where he was or even if he was alive. After a moment the door swung open.

He was so shocked that he momentarily forgot the whole reason that he was there, Calderon's other cheek now bore a fresh welt, it looked a lot deeper and more painful than the other one had. The other welt looked just as bad, fresh and vivid as if Varanian had gone over it again. He_ really_ hated Varanian. He averted his eyes guiltily, if he hadn't said anything then Calderon never would have tried to confront Varanian and got injured. At least he was alive.

"Scor?" Calderon wondered and Scorpius looked back up at him.

"How'd it go with Varanian?"

"He err... wasn't happy much. But he agreed to only make them do it for an hour each day after class and half a day at the weekends rather than from before dawn to after dusk. And he promised he wouldn't lay a hand on you again. Best I could do. I know its not good enough," Calderon answered sounding unusually saddened, "did you really run all the way over here to ask me that? I didn't think classes had finished for the day yet."

"Oh yeah. They... they haven't, you better come with me and I'll tell you as we walk."

Calderon grabbed his walking stick before following him, Scorpius told him what happened as they returned to the Charms classroom. Peering in, it looked more like warzone though now, bits of broken stools and tables everywhere although many of the students must have been moved to the hospital wing because most were gone and more of the ones with minor injures were being led away by one of the nurse people. His heart sunk when he saw that Varanian was there, now a redhead as he watched what was happening. His silvery eyes flicked to them as they approached though, narrowing angrily on Scorpius.

"What did you do?" Varanian demanded of him and he felt Calderon's hand on his shoulder.

"It was an accident," Calderon said protectively, "Scor doesn't know his own strength."

Varanian didn't say anything and someone called Calderon over to help, for a second he didn't think Calderon but Madam Pomfrey called him again and ever so slowly he felt Calderon's hand leave his shoulder as he went to help. Scorpius suddenly felt very alone.

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_**Thanks to: **Skywing17015 and Guest for reviewing!_


	25. I: Almost

"Follow," Varanian commanded turning on his heel.

"Shouldn't we try to help or something?"

"No, I think they've got it. Follow."

Reluctantly Scorpius followed after the headmaster, he had an idea what Varanian wanted and it made him miserable. He hung his head hopelessly and walked in the headmaster's shadow, he was led astray from the corridors that he had memorized. Oddly Varanian stopped in front of a large and incredibly ugly looking gargoyle statue.

"Ethel."

As he spoke, Varanian's hair changed from a neatly combed red to become very scruffy and a tawny color. Immediately the gargoyle stepped aside and a circular staircase started to move upwards, Varanian stepped onto it like it was normal and Scorpius hesitantly jumped after him.

"Ethel?"

"My wife's name."

"You have a wife?" Scorpius wondered in surprise.

"I _had_ a wife," Varanian corrected him irritably and pushed him roughly out of the staircase as it came to a halt, "Death Eater's murdered her."

"I'm sorry."

"No you're not!"

Scorpius closed his mouth before he could protest, he didn't think Varanian would believe him regardless of what he said. Death was bad, no matter whose wife it was. Poor woman had to be insane to marry Varanian though, or maybe he just threatened her into doing what he wanted like he seemed to do for everything else.

Varanian led him through a door and into what Scorpius assumed was the headmaster's office, it was larger than he'd imagined and odder. He'd heard there were supposedly portraits of all the previous headmasters, to give advice to the current one or something and indeed the walls were full of pictures but every last one had been turned around so the painting was facing the wall. It was unnerving.

"Erm... Shouldn't they be the other way around?" Scorpius questioned as Varanian took a seat behind the huge ornate desk and gestured for him to sit opposite.

"No, they're irritating!" Varanian snapped angrily, "and its not important. The only thing you should be worried about right now is explaining yourself! You severely injured almost a whole classroom of students and practically destroyed the furniture."

"You're actually worried about the furniture?"

"Yes! No! You're just lucky that no one died! Because someone very easily could've."

"It was an accident! I just meant to rise the stupid feather and everything just flew into the air, I tried to put them down too fast and... and they just came crashing down. But you know, it _was_ an accident."

"You still did it though! Are you so much of a hazard that you can't do a simple levitation charm without almost killing the whole room?!"

"It was an accident!" Scorpius protested angrily, "at least it was an accident! You're actually magically cutting runes into students' chests and sucking their blood for some evil spell, on purpose! That's worse! It's dangerous and evil! It could kill them!"

"It's to protect the school from the likes of your kind! And its not dangerous or evil or fatal, they're not doing anything I haven't done myself! I know what I'm doing. I don't have to explain myself to children and crazy people with tainted souls. You however do answer to me and you have done a very serious thing!"

"I know," Scorpius whispered as he hung his head and placed his wand on Varanian's desk, "I never meant to hurt anyone but I still did, I don't want to hurt anyone else. You can expel me if you want, I know you want to, maybe its for the best."

He didn't look up, he didn't want to watch as his wand was broken by the man he despised. He heard Varanian pick it up though, over the sound of his pounding heart. He didn't want to be expelled, he didn't want to be cast away from magic but maybe it was for the best. He'd already killed someone and seriously injured most of his class, that wasn't good.

At least he'd be able to put a stop to Varanian. When he went to get his thing then he'd take Rose's letter to her parents, the Ministry would be alerted and the headmaster would be dealt with, he couldn't hurt anyone then. It was the right thing to do. It was the best thing for everyone that he be expelled. Everyone but Scorpius himself, of course. He would lose his future. Practically his life.

"Remorse? Interesting wand," Varanian commented and Scorpius glanced up, the headmaster was peering at his wand with a scowl, "thirteen inches is fairly standard but that's Redwood, is it not? Rare. They're endangered now yet someone still hacked one up for your wand. And the core is Thestral tail hair. Really unique, difficult, unstable. Powerful though."

"I know, none of the wands in Mr. Ollivander's shop liked me. Father had to pay a small fortune to have one specially made for me."

"A powerful unstable wand for a powerful unstable wizard. Figures."

"I like my wand," Scorpius said defensively. Despite being embarrassed over how he had gotten it, the first time he'd held it he'd felt... complete, it just felt right.

"Of course you do," Varanian snapped looking furious and to Scorpius' immense surprise, threw the wand and Scorpius grabbed it quickly, "I'm not going to expel you. This time. School is about teaching control and you will learn some, a detention a day for a year will encourage you with this."

"A year?!"

"Silence, Scorpius. A year is very lenient I feel, it starts tomorrow. And this is your very last chance. Now get the hell out of my sight before I change my mind."

Scorpius practically fled the room before Varanian could change his mind. It was only after he got back to the common rooms that he began to wonder if the one only reason he hadn't been expelled was because the headmaster had also realized that if he let Scorpius go then he couldn't control him anymore, he couldn't stop him telling anyone about the blood runes. _Keep your friends close and your enemies closer_, Scorpius recalled and decided it was an apt quote, if you were close to them then you could keep an eye on them.

He wasn't really sure what he was supposed to be doing in that moment, most students were still in classes but his last lesson had been double Charms and he had a feeling that was canceled for the day. He still felt guilty. An idiotic part of him still wanted to do something to help the students he'd injured but he'd do more harm than good being underfoot at the hospital wing, plus he got the impression he was not popular amongst his class. Not that he'd ever been popular amongst his class. He opted to just try catch up on his homework, he hadn't had a chance with everything yesterday so he was frustratingly behind.

He stayed in the common room for once though, he had the books he needed here and he didn't feel like walking all the way there when the common room was blissfully empty. He wanted solitude. He wasn't safe to be around people anyway. He tried to engross himself in his homework but it just reminded him of his worries and guilt, he was seriously starting to regret his decision to come to Hogwarts, was he just being selfish? No one else wanted him to be there, with the exception of his grandfather and as for himself... what did he want? He wasn't sure what he wanted, he just... he just wanted to be happy again. That seemed pretty impossible though.

"Can I sit here?"

Scorpius was jolted from his thoughts by the speaker, he didn't know her personally but he was sure he'd seen her around. She looked about fifteen or sixteen maybe even if she was unusually flat chested, she had a shock of red hair that was combed over to her eyes and a ponytail. He guessed she was probably a Weasley, there were quite a lot of them in Gryffindor.

"Sure," Scorpius answered politely and the girl sat down opposite him, dumping her stack of books unceremoniously on the table as she did so.

"I'm Dom by the way. Dom Weasley," Dom introduced herself bluntly.

"I'm Scor-"

"Everyone knows who you are. We all heard you're name being called when you were late to be sorted."

"Okay," Scorpius muttered and glanced at the room, now filling up with Gryffindors. Lots of people were staring at him and immediately pretended not to be when they noticed him looking, exploding into hushed whispers amongst themselves, "what the..."

"Word's kinda got out about your Charms class. Congratulations. You're the talk of the school."

"I don't want to be the talk of anything."

"Well you are. Everyone's talking about the Death Eater's son trying to kill his class."

"I didn't try to kill them!" Scorpius protested and he lowered his voice as the others' eyes turned on him once, "it was an accident."

"Just telling you what they're saying. Afraid to go near you, they are."

"Great. Just when I think my life can't get any worse."

"Yep. Sucks to be you," Dom pointed out without looking up from the schoolwork and he started to wonder why she'd wanted to sit there, "although they already thought that you were evil. A lot of people think that you shot that symbol and creepy message into the sky at the train, attacked Calderon for trying to stop you and the new professor intervened and took your wand."

"That's ridiculous! Not to mention completely wrong, I'm just a first year."

"They think you're already been taught the Dark Arts by your Death Eater family. Most first years don't almost kill their whole class."

"I didn't-"

"Yeah, yeah, accident. I remember," Dom interrupted dismissively, "just telling you what they're saying about you. Its not what I think happened. Just thought you should know."

"Well... thanks... I think," Scorpius offered, not really sure what he was supposed to say or what she wanted.

"Oh don't thank me, I don't like you. You turned my favorite teacher into a psycho."

"What?" Scorpius wondered feeling incredibly confused and Dom looked up for the first time to shoot him a dark look.

"Varanian. He was my favorite teacher when he taught Defense Against the Dark Arts, way better than that bimbo that replaced him before the new guy. But now I saw you attack him and I saw him give you that mark in retaliation so thank you for turning him into a psycho."

"I didn't turn him into a psycho! He was already... argh, nevermind I give up," Scorpius snapped noticing everyone's eyes on him again, "I need to go to my dorm now."

"Have fun."

Scorpius scooped up his books and tried not bolt to his room, going to the sanctuary of his bed where he yanked the drapes shut. He'd just wanted a nice easy Hogwarts experience, focus on lessons and stay out of trouble, meld into the background and be normal. How had he managed to go so far wrong in less than a week? Miserably he sighed, wishing he was home and away from it all. Maybe his family were right, he was weak and not ready for anything. But no, he didn't want to be weak. Marvin had thought he was weak.

With renewed determination he kicked off his shoes and went back to tackling his homework, forcing everything else on his mind back, maybe if he tried hard enough to just ignore it then it would go away. He managed to succeed for awhile and managed to immerse himself in his homework long enough to stop worrying, until Albus and Michael returned. He heard them talking as they came up their stairs and pulled back the drapes from both side.

"Did you ever think that the drapes are closed because I want to be alone and you know... not disturbed?" Scorpius pointed out somewhat irritated at them for ruining his peace.

"You do realize that closing those drapes doesn't make you invisible?" Albus retorted and scowl, "why are you doing homework in bed anyway?"

"Haven't you heard those rumors about me?"

"Which ones? About you trying to kill the class or-"

"All of them! Everyone's talking about me and looking at me," Scorpius told them miserably, "I wanted to be away from it."

"People have been talking about you since you got here though, why is it only bothering you now?"

"Because I didn't notice it until now!"

"Well we know its not true so that's all that matters," Michael offered comfortingly leaning against the post, "who cares what they think?"

"I don't care what they think, I care what they say and do," Scorpius snapped and tried to reign back his irritation, he shouldn't take his frustration out on them, "did you two want something?"

"We were worried about you, wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Worried about me?" Scorpius repeated before laughing bitterly, it felt like forever since he'd laughed. It sounded strange and wrong to his ears but he couldn't help it, it amused him, Gryffindors _worrying_ about _him, _it was laughable. A mudblood and a Potter/Weasley hybrid worrying about a Malfoy, "that's a good one!"

"We were!" Albus protested glaring at him but Michael was smiling oddly, "we thought Varanian had chopped you into little chunks or expelled you or... or... or something! Dammit stop laughing!"

"I-I'm sorry," Scorpius tried to apologize but he couldn't stop himself from laughing, "its just you-you said that you were wo-worried about _me_!"

"Well it'll teach us to worry about you, Malfoy!"

"Ex-Exactly! Malfoy an-and you're Potter! It's just _so_..."

"If you don't stop laughing I'll... I'll... hit you with this pillow!" Albus stammered grabbing a pillow from his bed but Scorpius only laughed harder, he wondered if he'd gone insane but was he supposed to be scared of a pillow? It was ludicrous. And then Albus hit him in the face with the pillow. He stopped laughing.

"Did... Did you just hit me with a pillow?" Scorpius wondered in surprise and Albus erupted into laughter.

"Merlin's beard, you-you should see the look on y-your face!"

"Dammit stop laughing!"

As Scorpius snapped the Gryffindor only laughed harder, angrily Scorpius grabbed his own pillow and hit Albus in the face with it. Albus just carried on laughing. Scorpius batted him with it again and again, he just carried on laughing. Finally he jumped onto his bed to give him some leverage to hit the taller boy on the top of the bed, Albus finally stopped and seemed to blink in slight surprise before leaping onto the bed and whacking Scorpius back.

Scorpius went to hit him again and Albus ducked, laughing triumphantly as he got Scorpius in the chest. Not to be outdone, Scorpius swung at him again only this time when Albus ducked he brought the pillow down on the other boy's head. Scorpius heard his own triumphant laughter as he bounced on the bed and hit him again, Albus raised his head and smirked as he whacked Scorpius in the head with the pillow. Scorpius made a mental note to get better at dodging as he went for Albus again. They were fighting. _With pillows_. It was insane! After a few minutes he heard a third person laughing and realized Michael was in stitches watching them.

"Get him!"

Scorpius wasn't sure if it was him or Albus who spoke but they both lunged at their new target, Michael shrieked at the barrage of pillows before yanking the two pillows off his bed to try to fend them off with. Scorpius wished he'd thought of that as Michael fought against them with a pillow in each hand, laughing with glee at the double weapons even though Albus and Scorpius were still gaining ground on him, backing him round the circular room towards Reuben and Angelo's beds.

"You-You both hit l-like girls!" Michael called out in between bursts of laughter.

"What are you doing?!" Rose's voice demanded shrilly all of a sudden, the trio stopped to see her and Abby standing near the entrance to the dorm, despite the fact it was supposed to be boys only, "you said you were just going to check for Malfoy, you sounded like you were dying up here!"

"Forget that!" Abby snapped grabbing the pillows off Reuben or Angelo's bed as a playful grin appeared on her face, "I'll show you how to hit like a girl!"

Abby launched herself at Michael in a flurry of pillows and immediately the chaos started up again with Abby joining in, they were howling with laughter and ganging up on Michael. Scorpius had actually forgotten he'd been worried about, he was so caught up in the pillow fight while Rose just stood there looking at them with a horrified expression.

"You're all behaving like children!" Rose pointed out irritably.

"We are children!" Michael called back and flung a pillow at her, it struck her directly in the face and the stunned look on his face must have been similar to the one of his that Albus had found hilarious, "lighten up Rosie."

"Right that's it!" Rose yelled and for a second Scorpius he thought she was going to do something drastic, they all stopped moving but she grabbed up the pillow, "everybody get Michael!"

"No! Not everyone get Michael!"

Michael yelped in surprise as the redheaded girl ferociously batted him in the head with the pillow, trying to run away from four people attacking him with pillows. Scorpius was laughing again before he realized it, he remembered Michael hopelessly calling for surrender and then it was everyone for themselves, everything was just a blur of laughter and pillows while a flurry of feathers seemed to be snowing down all around from burst pillows.

He didn't know how long it lasted but at some point it was over, leaving the five of them breathless and scattered around at the foot of Scorpius' bed amongst a hail of feathers. It was the most fun that Scorpius had had since before he'd been taken, the others were all smiling. Scorpius' smile died though, sobering as his moment of joy slipped away like water through his fingers leaving him empty but for worry again.

"Been ages since we had a good pillow fight like that," Rose commented, "how long was it that the whole clan shared a tent for the Quidditch World Cup, Al?"

"Erm... Not this year because our dads had to work, I think it was two or three years ago now because Teddy still had Hogwarts," Albus answered and grinned, "think this is mad, try having a pillow fight with the whole Weasley-Potter clan plus Teddy, that's thirteen of us for anyone who doesn't realize how many there are. More if any of the adults join in."

"I have two brothers and a sister, what we lack in number we make up for in determination," Abby pointed out somewhat proudly.

"It shows, you have a mean swing," Michael added with a nod.

"I was at that world cup too," Scorpius realized aloud, "father paid for the best seats in the stadium as birthday present. My birthday's in August."

"Must be nice being rich," Abby commented.

"Money doesn't buy you happiness."

"No but it can help sometimes," Michael pointed out as he plucked a feather from Rose's hair carefully and twirled in his fingers, "my mum works three jobs and we can still barely afford the rent and to put food on the table, stepdad blows all the money on booze and spends all day watching TV. Must be really weird for you to not have TV, is there no wizard equivalent? And now on sports we have Quidditch followed by unicorn racing, place your bets folks!"

"We err... we don't have unicorn racing," Rose informed him snatching the feather from him.

"Ah figures, my sister will be disappointed to hear there's no unicorns."

"Oh no, we have unicorns, we just don't race them. And you know for us its weirder for you to not have magic at all."

"I don't know, my stepdad has this magic way of making his wedding ring disappear when my mum's at work."

"What like make it invisible or move it to a new place?" Rose asked with curiosity and Michael laughed tiredly.

"I didn't mean it literally... nevermind. Muggles aren't that interesting."

"I don't know, that was really cool the way you were helping all those students. You just knew what to do and everything."

"My aunt was a paramedic, before she went to jail anyway, I was close to her and she taught me a lot about stuff like that," Michael explained taking back the feather.

"What's a paramedic?" Albus wondered.

"Was I ever really that hopeless about muggle stuff?" Scorpius said with a heavy sigh, starting to understand why Marvin would be so frustrated with him every time he asked a question about things that were normal to him.

"Why do you know so much about muggle stuff? Your family are pure-blood supremacists, not to mention former Death Eaters," Rose pointed out and he flickered her a dark look, "what? Its just odd that you know so much about them considering your family hate them."

"I don't want to talk about it. Let's just get these feathers cleaned up."

"Wait!" Abby protested getting up, "there's something I want to do first. Wait here, don't move."

Before any of them could protest, Abby was up and running down the stairs. Irritably forcing the rest of them to just sit in wait, unmoving and clueless as to what she wanted. She was only gone a few minutes but it felt like longer in awkward silence, Michael plucking more feathers from Rose's tangled hair which seemed to annoy her as she preceded to scowl and whack him with a pillow just before Abby returned. She was holding a camera.

"What's with the camera?" Albus questioned immediately.

"Well y'know I brought this because well... I kinda always thought that it'd be good to have pictures from when I'm at Hogwarts to look back on, my parents always talk about how much they enjoyed school despite everything and that they wished they had more photographs," Abby explained with a slight blush in her cheeks, "so I wanted to take a picture of all of us, if that's okay with you. This is the most fun I've had since I got here and with everything Varanian... I don't know how many happy memories they'll be so... what do you say? To new almost-friends?"

* * *

_**Thanks to: **Diddleymaz and Red for reviewing!_

_**To Diddleymaz: **Thank you! I'm glad you think its well written. I don't know what those things are, is cubs like scouts? Because if so then no, Michael wasn't a scout_

_**To Red: **Thank you! I'm really glad you're enjoying it. And about whose he's waiting for a call from, I debated whether or not to tell you since I did mean to put it in that chapter but it got too long with the other stuff so I will come back to it later on in the story regardless but as you asked so nicely he's waiting for a call from his wife_


	26. I: Acceptance

**_Author's Note:_**_ About Calderon's non-wand magic, its a combination of things really and I can't say too much without saying too much about his past but basically he was never properly taught to use magic but he was still pressured into doing magic, because of that he got able to do magic whenever he was emotional like scared or upset or angry and magic would happen but he had no control over what it did, he wasn't using a wand or spells. By the time he started working at Hogwarts that was the only way he could do magic, he couldn't stop it from happening but gradually he got better at controlling the bursts of magic and eventually developed his own way of using magic from it which all was without a wand_

* * *

_"Draco, would you just stop!" Lucius called out irritably stalking after his only son as Draco turned down another alley way, "this is ridiculous."_

_"I have to find my son," Draco said firmly without slowing or stopping._

_"You're not going to find him like this! Do you actually expect him to just be standing in some random filthy alley waiting for you? Come now, Draco, you're not thinking."_

_"Of course I'm not thinking! My son is missing or haven't you noticed?!" Draco snarled angrily pausing to face him as he realized the alley was a dead end, "are you going to help me look or what?"_

_"I'm not indulging your nonsense. Just listen to me, we need to act normal like nothing's wrong. That's what the kidnappers want, they're just making sure we won't go running to the Ministry before they contact us about a ransom, we need stay calm and stay quiet, I've used all of my influence to keep this out of the paper. They'll contact us soon enough if we keep going the way we are, we do what they want and we get Scorpius back. Trust me, I know what we're doing."  
_

_"That's right because you know everything, don't you?"_

_"Draco-" Lucius started to protest to his son's sarcastic comment but was interrupted._

_"We have been doing it your way and we haven't heard anything! It's his birthday today! His birthday. His tenth birthday. He should be at home right now, surrounded by his family, eating his birthday cake and opening his presents, I got him a broomstick because he's so obsessed with being a Seeker, I was going to teach him properly to fly. He should be there not... not... wherever godforsaken hell he's in now. It was my idea to send him away, my fault," Draco said firmly, his voice thick with guilt,"I can't just sit in that house where he should be and do nothing anymore. Not today. Just not today. I have to do something even if you think its useless."_

_"It's the middle of the night! Scorpius wouldn't want this, he would want you to stay calm."_

_"No! What Scorpius would want is to be home safe and sound, where he belongs," Draco pointed out tearfully before he hardened his expression, "now either help me search or get out of my way, father."_

_Lucius sighed heavily and stepped aside slightly to let Draco get past, his son's behavior was irritating him. He was worried about Scorpius too but he wasn't losing his mind over it, someone needed to be calm and rational or they really would never see the boy again. _

_"I couldn't help overhearing your predicament," a voice spoke from behind him and Lucius spun to see a man stepping out from the shadows, he was slender and good-looking with a mop of sandy hair. A hint of a smile played on his lips that put Lucius at ease, if he overheard a conversation about a missing child he certainly wouldn't be smiling. Unless it was someone he particularly hated, "maybe I could be of some help, my master is particularly talented at finding those of us who are lost."_

_"I don't want your help, I would appreciate your silence on the matter but aside from that everything's under control," Lucius spoke bluntly and stalked away to find Draco before the man could say anything more, some people were unbelievable._

* * *

Despite the levity of the pillow fight, none of them were incredibly pleased to be having Abby take a photograph of them. With the exception of Michael who was positively excited for the possibility of being part of a moving photo. None of them refused though, Abby seemed so desperate and if it made her happy then Scorpius supposed it would be cruel to deny it.

He was starting to feel very stupid for even letting himself engage in such foolish childish behavior in the first place, not to mention the mess they'd caused, what would his father say? Scorpius decided he was either very stupid or very mad or possibly both. She did sort of have a point though, he would admit, a detention for a year couldn't be fun even if it wasn't bad as having strange blood runes scar your chest. Although he thought he would prefer that to having a tainted soul. No good could come of being tainted.

He tried to put it out of his mind and force a smile as he found Albus and Michael either side of him as they sat on the floor, Rose on Michael's other side while Abby set the camera for a timer before running over to sit down on Albus' other side. Michael randomly threw a handful of feathers into the air that floated around them like snow, Scorpius gave a nostalgic smile thinking of snow. They were watching it fall the camera flashed.

"Why on Earth did you do that?" Rose demanded immediately.

"Its a moving picture, I want to see if other stuff will move," Michael answered with a shrug and a smile, "lighten up Rosie."

"I think I've been quite light enough for one day," Rose stated firmly standing up, "I'm going to the library to study, no point surviving Varanian if I let my grades slip. Anyone who wants to join me is more than welcome too."

"I thought we're not your friends so we can't study with you?"

"We may not be friends but we have to stick together if we're to find a way to stop Varanian so... until he's fired, dead, imprisoned or put into a deep coma the likes of which he'll never wake up from then we're... _allies._ And allies can study together," Rose explained heading to the door and pausing in the frame with a look back at them, "if you and Malfoy want to, of course."

"That's her way of saying she doesn't hate you anymore," Albus explained as Rose left and the rest of them got to their feet, "also her way of aloofly ditching us to clean up the mess without her."

"My way of ditching you to clean up the mess is much simpler," Abby added and giggled slightly as she grabbed the camera and skipped to the exit, "this is a boy's dormitory and really girls aren't allowed so I'll just go pack away this camera and leave you three to it."

"Hey!"

* * *

_You could have heard a blade of grass falling, it was so quiet. It was Christmas day. Not that it felt like Christmas day, there were no decorations around the house as Lucius had become accustomed to since Astoria moved in. She'd claimed she wouldn't decorate until Scorpius was back, Scorpius always helped. There was a tree though, a huge tree just sitting there in the corner of the drawing room. It wasn't decorated either but they'd got it, in case Scorpius returned. There were no presents under it though, it seemed wrong to even consider celebrating without Scorpius.  
_

_Lucius had never thought he'd miss the frivolity of it all, in fact it had positively infuriated him in the past, how Draco consistently allowed his wife to turn their ancient estate into a ridiculous folly. Lucius missed it now though, all of the stupid things that annoyed him, even the stupid singing that drove him mad. He wished it was like that now, singing and lights and people laughing, Scorpius laughing with the stupid house-elf and bothering him to... build snowmen or something equally ridiculous. He'd give anything to play one of those stupid games with the boy now, or the girl if she'd have lived long enough. Last year Christmas had been when Astoria and Draco announced the pregnancy, he'd been as delighted as the rest of them at the prospect of gaining another grandchild. Now he had no grandchildren. _

_"This is stupid," Astoria whispered drawing Lucius' attention back the room, the four of them were scattered about and had been sitting in melancholy silence but now she looked upset, "this is stupid! Just sitting around here like nothing's wrong!"  
_

_"What would you rather we do? Run around aimlessly looking for the boy like some people?" Lucius commented irritably, he didn't like it any more than she did. _

_"SCORPIUS!" Astoria screamed angrily jumping to her feet and they jolted in shock as the tree abruptly caught fire, "his name was Scorpius! Scorpius! Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, not the boy! And her name was Lyra not the girl! They had names! They may be dead but they still have names, Lucius, they have names. Do you even care?!"  
_

_"Of course I care! The- Scorpius," Lucius forcibly corrected himself, "isn't dead. We just need to keep calm until the kidnappers contact us."_

_"No one's going to contact us! Don't you get it?! He's dead! Scorpius is dead! They never wanted money from you, they wanted revenge against you and they did by killing your grandson, your sweet, innocent grandson. This is all your fault. Scorpius is dead because of you!"_

_"Err... sweetheart, the tree is burning," Draco pointed out awkwardly standing up beside her and gently putting his arm around her, Lucius found himself lost for words._

_"I want it to burn!" Astoria screeched before she burst into tears, "I want it to burn. I don't care anymore."_

_"We'll find him," Draco told her gently encircling his arms around her and she buried her head in his shoulder as she cried, "we'll pay someone to find him and bring him home."_

_"You can't do that!" Lucius protested as Narcissa glared at all of them as she brought out her wand to deal with the burning tree that she happened to be closest to, "then the kidnapper's will kill him and not bother with getting a ransom! Not to mention the fact you'll be wasting the ransom money on some clueless moron!"_

_"What kind of kidnapper doesn't ask for a ransom for six months? Whatever they want, its not money. We have to do this."_

_"But Draco, you can't-"_

_"He's my son! It's not your decision and we're going to do something, we're going to bring him home whether he's alive or... We're going to get him back, no matter what."_

_"Narcissa, tell your son that he's being unreasonable!" Lucius demanded of his wife who had finished putting out the flames and was looking between them awkwardly._

_"I'm sorry, Lucius, I think I agree with Draco."_

_Lucius opened and closed his mouth a few times, glowering with fury. How could his wife and son both turn on him? They were going to get Scorpius killed, why couldn't they see that he was right? Angrily he stalked outside, he couldn't stand being in the room a second longer._

_He started walking across the snow covered ground, the wind was biting and the sky was overcast. He regretted not grabbing his cloak but didn't go back for it, just kept walking aimlessly around the grounds. He didn't understand why they were being unreasonable when he was clearly right. They just weren't not thinking straight, it was hard on all of them and it was taking its toll. He knew Narcissa was having as much trouble sleeping as he was, Draco and Astoria looked equally exhausted, that wasn't helping their anxiety. Clearly he was the only one coping well enough to think about what was best for Scorpius. _

_They were the ones who were going to get Scorpius killed not him. It wasn't his fault Scorpius was missing after all. It couldn't be his fault. It was just people looking for a ransom, it was. They were just being careful and taking their time, they were. It wasn't his fault. It couldn't. If they were after revenge then it meant Scorpius was dead, that he'd really lost his grandson forever and Lucius couldn't lose him. He couldn't. It couldn't be someone trying to get revenge through Scorpius, although there were a lot of candidates if it had been for revenge. He was despised by the wizarding world for being former Death Eaters and despised by the Death Eaters for changing sides, there were too many uncaught Death Eaters and too many people he had wronged to keep track of who could want revenge. But it wasn't revenge, it couldn't be. Besides, if you were going to get revenge by taking someone's child and killing them then you would want the person to know what you'd done. They hadn't found a body. Scorpius was alive until they found a body._

_"Is everything still under control?" a voice spoke out and Lucius nearly jumped as a man stepped out from the trees, he scowled at the man who he vaguely recognized as the guy who'd overheard him and Draco in the alley, "would be a merrier Christmas if you had your grandchild back, wouldn't it?"_

_"Get off my property!"_

_"Come now, my master is just offering to help you as its Christmas. My master can find your grandchild and bring him back to you, my master is vastly talented."  
_

_"Not that its any of your business but we're already hiring someone to find the boy," Lucius snapped, the last thing Scorpius needed was a delusional lunatic and their 'master' in the mix, "so there. Take your imaginary master and get off my property."_

_"My master is very real, my master just prefers to stay in the shadows for the time-being," the man answered defensively and cocked his head to one side thoughtfully as Lucius noticed it was now oddly dark, "my master isn't interested in your money, do you really want to waste it all on charlatans who will be unsuccessful?"  
_

_"Fine. Make your master find and bring him to me now, if they're really not doing it for profit."_

_"I said my master isn't interested in your money, not that there wouldn't be a cost. My master only offers help three times, the first is for a favor, the second is for your allegiance and the third is for your soul."  
_

_"No," Lucius said firmly shaking his head, "becoming a Death Eater was a mistake, it's caused my family and I nothing but trouble, not to mention You-Know-Who's failure. I'm not risking it all for a stupid lost cause and an empty offer of help."_

_"It is neither an empty offer nor a stupid lost cause. Although my master had a feeling you would say that."_

_"Go away!" Lucius demanded angrily and drew his wand at the man. It was so dark, Lucius glanced briefly back to the manor to see if it still had light before turning back and finding the man had gone, "good riddance."  
_

* * *

Scorpius did go with the others to the library after they had cleaned up, they were allies after all and he didn't want to be the one to refuse. He just hoped no one would bother him if he was in a group. No one said anything to him exactly but he did catch a lot of people looking at him, they pointed and whispered to their friends. It was very off-putting.

Studying in a group was a new experience, like when he had Michael done their homework together he found it was useful having people to bounce ideas off. Rose wasn't being so bad either, she hardly glared at him at all but then she didn't care about much beyond ideas on how to get Varanian. It wasn't easy, while Varanian was headmaster he did have control over pretty much everything and everyone. Any student they told would be just as helpless as they were and any teacher would be at risk. It did seem hopeless. Although as Rose pointed out, he couldn't stop them going home for Christmas and it was pointless to try, the parents would know something was wrong then anyway. Christmas seemed a long way away though.

They also were curious about what exactly the blood runes were doing and Scorpius told them about what Professor Ashain had told him, although it didn't help much. They still had no idea what they did, Varanian using Dark-ish magic wasn't news to them. The fact their souls were now linked to it worried them though and also raised a bunch of questions on how he'd even got a hold of such unusual magic. It really did seem hopeless, they could only guess. It was frustrating.

At dinner Scorpius was at least relieved to see all the students he'd injured were safely at their tables, although a handful still had bandages or a scrape or a bruise. Scorpius turned his attention instead to the teacher's table, Varanian now had black hair with gray highlights and a worried expression on his face. He also seemed unusually talkative to Calderon who kept alternating between scowling and nodding. Scorpius wished he could hear what they were saying.

"You could always try levitating him to death," Rose offered unhelpfully at dinner, catching Scorpius glaring at the headmaster again.

"It was an accident!"

"I was joking, it was a joke. Obviously you're not a murderer and neither am I. If Varanian dropped dead I wouldn't complain though."

"Oh, yeah. Sorry," Scorpius muttered turning back to his food and wishing she was right about him not being a murderer_. _

"Can we stop worrying about Varanian for five seconds?" Albus complained rolling his eyes, "tomorrow's our first flying lesson, at least pretend to be excited."

"You know I don't like heights," Rose pointed out looking anxious, "I'm scared of falling off. Although if I did get injured maybe I wouldn't have an hour of Varanian's detention."

* * *

_Lucius woke with a start, he was trembling and he was soaked in sweat. He felt exhausted and wasn't quite sure why, he'd just had a dream. A horrible dream. A horrible dream about Scorpius, in his dream the boy was being forced to dig what appeared to be his own grave by some random guy. He wiped his brow shakily, he didn't usually have dreams that effected him so, it felt so real, so vivid. He glanced at Narcissa, still blissfully asleep beside him.  
_

_He got out of bed, being careful not to disturb her, she needed her sleep and he needed some air. He went straight to his study, opened the window wide and leaned against the pane. He breathed in the freezing night air and tried very hard not to think about the dream._

_"It wasn't a dream," a voice spoke and Lucius jumped, spinning around to see a man sitting in the corner of his couch watching him. The same man with the master that he'd seen twice before, "it was real time, what was really happening to your grandchild. My master wished you to see it, to prove the offer was not empty. Its my master's birthday today, you see, so my master is feeling most generous."_

_"That can't be..." Lucius started to protest that it wasn't real but trailed off. What if it was? That man was going to kill Scorpius._

_"It is," the man breathed with a cruel smile dancing in his shadowy eyes, "my master wished me to tell you that there's still time to save his life, his life for your soul. That's the deal. You need only accept and my master will save him."_

_"How do I know that you're telling the truth?" _

_"My master is not a liar. Although I suppose whether you believe the truth or not is another matter, the choice is yours of course. You have two choices. Accept the deal then my master will save your grandchild and return him to you before the rising of the sun, or deny the deal and never hear from me or my master again."_

_"What happens to Scorpius if I don't accept?"_

_"I don't know, you're the one who saw what his life is like at the moment."  
_

_"Can't you just tell me where he is?! I'll give you money!"_

_"I told you, my master has no interest in your money nor a desire to give away charity to the ungrateful. Either accept the deal or not, your soul or you grandson. Its your choice."_

_Lucius swallowed nervously and turned away, his heart was thundering in his chest. He closed his eyes and saw Scorpius being dragged out of the whole, he looked so hurt and desperate. Lucius had to do something, the boy was out of time! But it was his soul. He was scared. It was so dark everywhere. He didn't want to lose his soul but Scorpius... Lucius picked up one of the photographs from his desk, Scorpius smiled back happily and innocently. His family was the only good thing he'd ever done, even if they could be so frustrating sometimes, he still loved them. Scorpius was innocent, he hadn't asked for any of it and he didn't deserve to die but then it was his soul._

_Lucius shook his head, he was terrified, probably more terrified than he'd ever been in his life but in that instant he found an inner strength inside himself. He let it anchor him, he needed to be strong, he needed to do the right thing for once. Scorpius deserved a chance at life more than Lucius deserved a corrupted soul._

_"I accept."_


	27. I: Freedom

Scorpius found it difficult to sleep that night, every time he got comfortable his cheek seared with pain as a reminder of his worries that kept him up. He was relieved when the dawn finally came and he could get up, he awoke before the others and got ready then just carried on reading his Divination book while he waited.

"Are you up, Scorpius?" Michael questioned pulling back the drapes and Scorpius jumped in surprise, he'd been so engrossed in his book that he hadn't even noticed the sound of the others getting up, "oh you are. Good."

"Can't you ask before pulling back the drapes? What if I was getting dressed?" Scorpius grumbled putting the book down, he hoped the library wouldn't mind him turning back the corners to mark his place.

"Ah stop complaining," Albus said cheerfully popping his head around, "its flying today!"

"Not until the afternoon, its the last lesson of the day unless you count Astronomy tonight."

"Yeah but still!"

Albus didn't lose his smile all through breakfast, even when Rose started trying to talk about Varanian. The headmaster was a short-haired redhead that morning, Scorpius wondered if it was normal for metamorphmagi to change their appearance so frequently. Calderon was there for once, although he looked exhausted and seemed to be watching the food enviously while Varanian was talking.

Usually Scorpius like lessons but all that day he didn't, he was still getting looks and his classmates kept looking at him with a mixture of fear and anger. Every time he tried to apologize and point out that it was an accident they would moodily tell him to go away, he heard more than one person mutter insults under his breath as he would turn away. He was actually terrified during lessons of causing another incident, he was extremely careful in everything he did and kept his wand aimed as far away from any person that he could. He was both relieved and anxious when it was time for flying lessons, Albus was practically bursting with excitement he was so happy.

"I can't wait!" Albus stated excitedly, still beaming, "its going to be so awesome, you know both of my parents are brilliant parents and my mum even played professionally so its in my blood that I'll do well. I wish we could run there!"

"As long as I don't fall off then I'll be happy," Rose muttered scowling, not sharing her cousin's enthusiasm.

"My dad broke his wrist the first time he flew, you know," Abby pointed out and Rose's face was immediately drained of all color.

"Y-You don't think th-that I'll... that sounds painful," Rose stammered fearfully.

"I'm sure you won't, Rosie," Michael offered comfortingly, seeming to notice her discomfort, "most people are fine though and I'm sure with Abby's dad there were extenuating circumstances, you'll do great, you'll s-"

Michael was cut off as he tripped and fell abruptly down the stairs they'd just been about to walk down, they started to run after him before Scorpius heard people howling with laughter. He stopped and glanced back, seeing James Potter with his wand out and standing there with his friends behind him high-fiving.

"Take that!" James called gleefully, "teach you to sympathize with Death Eater scum!"

"Leave him alone," Scorpius growled and had his wand in his hand before he realized it.

"Well you get the message," the fat one muttered as they darted away down a corridor to the right, Scorpius started to run after him before Rose and Albus pulled him back.

"Leave them," Rose told him, "James doesn't mean anything by it, I'm sure. They're not worth it."

"Yeah, he's just messing around," Albus agreed.

Scorpius shot them both a dark look but said nothing, they were right about leaving him because he didn't want to get in any more trouble. It didn't make it right though, James was out of line and his friends, they deserved to be punished. It bothered him especially that they were going after Michael just for defending him, he didn't want anyone to get hurt because of him, especially not just for being nice to him. He turned away and went to go check on Michael, the mudblood was getting to his feet.

"Are you okay?" Rose asked gently, "I'm sorry about my cousin."

"Nah don't worry about it, I'm fine," Michael said brushing it off with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"We should tell a teacher," Scorpius stated bluntly, whatever Calderon had said to them seemed to be making them leave him alone but all four of them looked horrified.

"We can't!" Albus burst out desperately.

"I know you want to protect your brother bu-"

"Teachers report bullying to the headmaster," Michael interrupted to his surprise, "if you tell on them then what's to stop Varanian from torturing them too? We can't let it happen to anyone else if we can help it. We have to protect the others."

"Yes but..." Scorpius started to say but trailed off in frustration, Michael did have a point and he hated it. They did have to protect the other students, even if some students didn't deserve it but he still hated it, Michael didn't deserve to get picked on. It wasn't fair.

"I'll talk to my brother," Albus offered, "maybe he'll leave you alone if he knows we're friends, its Scorpius that they really hate, not you. Although you did really make them mad."

"Nah, best they pick on me and not someone who'll report them and get them put on Varanian's torture list," Michael pointed out and Scorpius' scowl deepened, he _really_ hated the situation, "now, don't we have a flying lesson to get to?"

* * *

_The darkness screamed and Lucius felt a chill spread through him, it was almost painful it was so cold and then it was gone. He turned around fearfully, not sure what he'd been expecting when he'd just agreed to give up his soul but when he turned around he saw that the man was gone. He started to panic, wondering what was happening. Had he done something wrong? Was it too late to save Scorpius? Had the man rescinded his offer? Or was this supposed to happen? He didn't know and a quick search of the room revealed the man was actually gone, he hadn't just moved somewhere. Lucius sat down at his desk, lost in worry and panic but he didn't what to do. He didn't know how to get in touch with the man, he didn't even know the man's name._

_He must have fallen asleep though because the next thing he knew there were voices and people in his study. Lucius' eyes snapped open and he saw two men, the first was the nameless sandy-haired man with the master and the second also looked familiar. He was broad-shouldered and incredibly muscular, he appeared to be holding something bulky. Lucius almost recoiled when he caught a glimpse of the man's face, the bulbous nose looked crooked, the eyes too far apart, his ears were too big and his overly wide mouth was crooked. Lucius did remember him, it was hard to forget such an ugly face although he had thought the man dead._

_"Spindly git with a girl's name, can't even lift a freakin' ten year old," the ugly one muttered tossing what he was holding lazily onto the couch. Lucius' breath caught in his throat, it was Scorpius._

_"Shut up, Brutus!" the second voice shrieked irritably, "you're just jealous because you're ugly as shit."_

_Lucius wasn't listening anymore, nothing else mattered as he ran to Scorpius. He looked as he had in the dream, he was only wearing underwear and a white t-shirt. Well it had been white at one point, now it was stained with dirt as were Scorpius' arms, legs and face. His bare feet were caked in dirt too and beneath his fingernails, his once white-blond hair was now darkened from the dirt it was matted with. There was blood too, his one arm was half crimson from some nasty looking gashes wrapping around his wrist and more dried blood was mixed in with the dirt on his legs and face, his skin was discolored in places from bruising and he was so frightfully thin. _

_The boy seemed to be unconscious, his bagged eyes were closed but his chest was rising and falling as he breathed. Lucius felt tears welling in his eyes, wondering how anyone could treat such an innocent like that as he pulled Scorpius to him and cradled him close, not caring about the dirt or blood as he rocked his grandson gently.  
_

_"It's okay, Scorpius," Lucius whispered kissing the boy's forehead gently and stroking his hair, "you're okay now, they can't hurt you anymore. I've got you, you're safe now."_

_"You can't keep him," Brutus pointed out and Lucius shot the pair an angry glare, opening his mouth to protest about the deal, "master doesn't want credit for this, we're to take him to the guy your kid paid to find him. Reckon the guy'll keep his trap shut so he'll get paid and then you can have him, master just wanted to prove to you that it was us first."_

_"Aren't you supposed to be dead?" _

_"He would have been if not for my master's intervention," the man replied with a smirk as he turned to Brutus and folded his arms, "wasn't it your little bitty baby brother who almost killed you? Shameful."_

_"Oh shut up, Celestine. Atty just got lucky, is all," Brutus growled glaring,"and stop smothering the boy, Lucius. The kid killed a guy, he's not exactly a porcelain doll anymore."  
_

_"What do you mean he killed a guy?" Lucius asked in horror as Brutus roughly took Scorpius from him, Lucius tried to follow but Celestine had his wand out warningly so he miserably resigned himself to just watching and having to abide by their deal._

_"The muggle went to blow his brains out so kid deflected the bullet through the guy's heart, pretty neat huh?" Brutus explained backing away and seemed oddly excited by it as he gave a lopsided grin, "kid's not as weak and helpless as you'd think."_

_"Wait but I just agreed to give you my soul in exchange for his life?"_

_"Was slightly unnecessary, kid killed the muggle before the master could intervene but you still agreed. No backsies, Lucius. If you try to turn against the master then Scorpius' life will be forfeit, don't doubt it," Brutus told him darkly and Lucius turned to Celestine angrily feeling like he'd been tricked, the man's expression was unreadable though but when he looked back, Brutus and Scorpius were gone. He could only trust that they'd hold to their end of the bargain.  
_

_"So how... how does this work?" Lucius asked, managing not to sound as nervous as he felt, "I don't feel any different."_

_"We'll be in touch, tell no one," Celestine told him blandly stepping back into the shadows and vanishing. Lucius shivered, what had he just gotten himself into?_

* * *

Scorpius felt oddly saddened as they all lined up by their brooms for their first flying lesson, he'd been looking forward to the day he'd learn to fly since watching his very first Quidditch match when he was little, the snitch had been caught so close to their box that he could almost reach out and touch it. It had seemed so amazing, he'd wanted to be a Seeker ever since, wanted to fly. But now it was happening... He tried to feel happy but it seemed pointless now, it was just sitting on a stupid stick, it didn't change anything.

"Now everyone, put your hand over the broom and say up," Madam Hooch was saying.

A chorus of people saying 'up' broke out as they tried to make their brooms rise, some people were having more luck than others. For all Albus' enthusiasm his broom refused to do more than roll around on the ground, Rose's rose a few inches off the ground and proceeded to hover there unhelpfully, Abby's went to her hand fairly quickly which seemed to surprise her while Michael's smacked him in the face with enough force to knock him back onto the ground and then remained upright. Michael scowled at this as he got back up and grabbed it out of the air before glancing to him.

"Aren't you going to say up?" Michael wondered and Scorpius sighed heavily.

Reluctantly holding his hand over his own broom, it was still stupid, he wasn't a naive child with stupid dreams that were impossible if you thought about it rationally. He was about to say up before the broom surged obediently into his hand, he gasped. He was overcome by a similar sensation to when he'd first held his wand, it just felt right. He wanted to fly.

"Well done," Albus offered before frowning and more furiously demanding his broom to rise.

Scorpius tried not to roll his eyes, feeling increasingly impatient, the broom in his hand was practically itching to be flown. Albus was the last one to not have his broom in his hand, he seemed disappointed by this but finally got it and the lesson could begin. They did a few simple exercises of mounting their brooms and getting off the ground then landing again, it was so easy it was frustrating although Rose looked immensely proud to have not fallen off and Albus struggled with it, Michael crashed painfully into a wall and Abby fell off twice.

He was much more pleased when they got to go more into the air, he didn't actually want to come down. Flying came as naturally to him as breathing, the broom felt like an extension of himself rather than an object he was using and almost seemed to know what he wanted to do before he did. He could weave left and right, up and down, spin around even. It was amazing, he felt so free. He wasn't trapped, he wasn't chained, he wasn't restricted, he was just free. He could go anyway he wanted and soar through the air, he just wanted to go higher and faster, feel that breeze on his face some more.

Before he realized what he was doing he was out of the training grounds, he was just flying free and fast even as his broom trembled beneath him. He weaved between the towers and dived towards the lake, zooming just over the surface as he drew his fingers through the water and said hello to the Giant Squid that was somewhere beneath the surface. He pulled up and spun around as he started to get higher, he wanted to go higher and touch the sky, literally touch the clouds. It was incredible. Nothing could touch him up there, no worries, no problems, nothing bad, everything went out of his head and he just relished the moment. It was just him and the vast space that was his to explore, he just wanted to fly forever, he loved that feeling of freedom.

He sighed heavily, he didn't want to go back, he wanted to be free forever. Some small rational part of his mind knew that was impossible though as it brought him back to the training grounds, the other students were already dissipating although Madam Hooch remained looking disapproving as he returned to the ground. He had to force his feet to touch the ground and it sucked away the feeling, he did sigh then and gave her the broom. He couldn't wait for his next flying lesson though.

"Care to explain what that was that all about, Mr Malfoy?" Madam Hooch questioned raising an eyebrow at him.

"I'm sorry, I lost control of my broom," Scorpius lied staring longingly at the broom he'd just given up.

"Of course you did," the elderly witch stated in a tone that left no doubt that she didn't believe him.

"Am I in trouble?"

"Not this time as Calderon informs me that you already have detention but the next lesson you better not 'lose control of the broom.' Do you understand?"

Scorpius nodded solemnly and she gestured that he was allowed to go, he headed towards the door and saw Calderon standing leaning against it with his walking stick. Scorpius was smiling by the time he reached him, cheering up at the prospect of telling Calderon what it was like to fly and he didn't mind detention so much if it was with him.

"You seem in a good mood," Calderon commented with a hint of a smile as he motioned for him to follow and led him inside.

"Flying is amazing," Scorpius told him happily, "just amazing. You're just free, completely free and you can do anything and there's no worries just the air and its amazing, Calderon, such a rush when you're going fast. Its just amazing, you know?"

"Never flown before."

"Really? Well you must try it, you'd probably like it. It's just..."

"Amazing?"

"Yeah. Its so good, its just indescribable how amazing it feels. You're so free."

"So you mentioned, once or twice," Calderon pointed out and Scorpius felt himself blushing but he couldn't help it, flying just was... amazing, "I'm glad you enjoy it, Scor. Because now you have a detention."

"I don't mind," Scorpius said still smiling, "bring it on. I feel like I can do anything."

"Well good," Calderon told him as he waved his hand and the door to the great hall opened, oddly enough the tables were gone and the only thing in the room was a mop and bucket of water, "because you're detention for today is to mop the floor of the great hall. Enjoy."

* * *

_**Thanks to: **Diddleymaz, Skywing17015 and Lucifersdaughter for reviewing. And don't worry, I'm not writing this out of obligation, it is good for taking my mind of my dog and I have been dying to write this bit for ages, well this and last chapter and the next few. Thank you for your condolences _


	28. I: Punishment

Scorpius was left alone with the bucket and mop with Calderon promising to return soon, the great hall looked even bigger with the furniture gone. Scorpius got to work, dragging the sopping mop across the floor and wishing it was a broom that he could fly on. He didn't seem to be getting very far though, there was so much floor and only one Scorpius and he could only go so fast. He was nervous that he wouldn't be finished by dinner and he'd have a swarm of angry starving students and teachers to deal with it. There had to be a better way. There was, he realized as he got out his wand._  
_

"_Wingardium Leviosa_!"

At his word the mop floated off the ground, he focused intently and moved his wand to make the mop drop into the bucket then back out and across the floor. It was more difficult than he thought, if it touched the ground too forcefully then the spell would be broken and he'd have to do it again but gradually he got better at it, it was a balance of not breaking the spell by touching the ground and not levitating it so high that it didn't clean the floor at all and then you had to move it constantly to each new bit of floor to be cleaned. It was tricky but Scorpius was enjoying the challenge and he was succeeding, once you got the balance right it was faster, you just had to focus.

"What are you doing?" Calderon questioned and Scorpius' concentration was so abruptly broken that the mop dropped to the ground.

"I... I''m sorry, I just thought it would be faster so I'd be done by dinner," Scorpius answered awkwardly but to his surprise Calderon only laughed his shrill laugh.

"Well its certainly using your initiative, never had a first year do that."

"Do you want me to do it by hand?"

"Nah," Calderon brushed it off and went to slump down beside the door, Scorpius noticed for the first time that he held a plate stacked with food in his free hand, "you could probably use the practice after what happening in Charms, power is useless if you can't control it. I always do it by magic anyway, although if Pippy asks, best you say you did it by hand just in case. He might expect you to do it by hand although considering he put me in charge of giving you detentions I don't see why I can't decide."

Scorpius nodded in understanding and went back to his work, only know occasionally glancing back to Calderon who seemed content to sit on the floor and eat. After awhile Scorpius decided to risk moving over to him, his legs protested at moving from the spot they'd been glued into for at least an hour but he managed to keep the mop mopping as he walked sideways and backwards towards Calderon.

"Well done," Calderon congratulated him and light burst out in front of them, forming into hands that applauded before vanishing, "here, have a chip."

"Thank you," Scorpius muttered awkwardly, trying to retain his focus on the spell as he sat down beside the assistant and was handed a chip. He failed and the mop clattered to the ground again, "damn."

"You'll get the hang of it, Scor, these things don't happen overnight," Calderon offered comfortingly and with a flick of his hand, the mop was once scrubbing the floor only more vigorously than when Scorpius had been doing it.

Scorpius nibbled at his chip thoughtfully as he watched the mop. There were a million things he wanted to ask him, about what the blood runes did, where Varanian had got them, why Varanian was doing it, if he would be willing to help them stop Varanian and on a more personal level he was curious who Calderon had killed to taint his soul and how you lived with it but he wasn't sure where to start or if it would offend Calderon. He also considered telling him about James picking on Michael, maybe Calderon would keep it quiet like he had for him but he stopped himself as he looked at the marks on his cheeks. Scorpius' still seared with pain and Calderon's looked worse, he didn't want to risk the assistant to get hurt again. He sighed.

"Something on your mind?"

"A lot of things are on my mind."

"Want to talk about it? Here, have a chip."

"Well there's Varanian, using those blood runes and he hates me."

"He doesn't hate you," Calderon stated defensively, "he just doesn't like you that much. Because you're related to former Death Eaters and he really hates them."

"Because they killed his wife?" Scorpius wondered already he was sure he already knew the answer and it didn't make it fair, being related to Death Eaters didn't make you evil and his family had changed sides anyway.

"Not just his wife, his whole family basically. He comes from a family of Aurors, his parents and elder siblings were all Aurors and every one of them died fighting Death Eaters before he'd even finished school. Then there was his wife, they married right out of Hogwarts and had three kids. He's a pure-blood but his wife was muggle-born so when the Ministry was taken over they went into hiding, but he wasn't as smart as he thought. It was Christmas when they were tracked down...they fought back, hard, they could've escaped if they hadn't tried to save their children but they did because they loved their children like parents should but they were outnumbered and subdued. They didn't just kill his wife, they killed the children in retaliation for their fighting back... Some Death Eaters believed blood traitors were worse than the muggle-borns, they didn't consider muggle-borns or muggles to have the same level of sentience as us, as if they're animals or at least less than human but blood-traitors weren't. They _chose_ to 'betray' their blood, their magical heritage and some believed that was the worst crime of all and the ones who attacked Pippy believed that but ultimately its what saved him."

"What do you mean?"

"The spell they use to kill is so quick, the smallest of mercies I suppose," Calderon explained and Scorpius wondered if he'd accidentally used the spell to kill Marvin, "but they wanted him to suffer first, they tortured him for awhile before deciding to kill him but not quickly, they wanted him to be burned alive in purifying flames. They tied him up, used a spell to shield his face from the smoke and flames so he'd survive for as long as possible then set his home on fire and then left him to die. But they left. Someone went back and saved him then, he was badly burned but still saved, by the time he'd recovered the war was over though. He doesn't know what Death Eaters did it because they wore their masks the whole time, instead he views all Death Eaters as the ones responsible which is why he hates them so much and... by extension kinda doesn't like people related to them. I think he wants to protect the school so bad to make up for not being able to protect his family."

"Well that's horrible that that happened," Scorpius would admit, not even Varanian deserved that and neither did his family but it didn't lessen his hatred or excuse his actions, "but it doesn't make what he's doing right."

"I know," Calderon sighed, "but what can you do? He's stopped listening to reason, he's so freaked out about what happened with the train."

"You could tell Albus' dad, he's the Head Auror and he'd stop Varanian."

"No!" Calderon protested and Scorpius flinched as the bucket of water exploded, "he'd put him in Azkaban. He doesn't deserve to go to Azkaban, _no one_ deserves to go to Azkaban, its such an awful, evil place with those dementors... dementors are the worst thing ever, Scor, I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy."

"I can think of something worse," Scorpius muttered and shivered thinking of the muggles, "besides, didn't think they get rid of the dementors?"

"Yeah, I had heard that. But its besides the point, the only time I've ever left Hogwarts for non-school business was to visit Minerva when she was retired and now she's not so Pippy would be awfully suspicious if I suddenly wanted a life. It'll be okay, when the wards are completed then he won't lay a hand on a student ever again, he promised."

"What do those wards do anyway?" Scorpius wondered as Calderon clicked his fingers and the almost empty plate vanished.

"I told you not to worry about it."

"Well I still do."

"They're to protect the school," Calderon told him with a sigh as he got to his feet, wincing slightly as he put pressure on his injured foot and Scorpius jumped up after him, "when its completed then no evil should be able to get past the wards, he's paranoid about an attack on the school."

"Well where did he get them from?" Scorpius questioned with a scowl, why would anyone want to attack a school? Then again why would anyone attack the train tracks? Who knew what the Shadows were after. Although Scorpius still thought it was pointless, even if they did work and magically protect the school from evil, what would protect the school from Varanian? He was more of a threat that anything, headmaster came him so much control, control that he was just abusing.

"There's people who donate things to the school, money usually or sometimes equipment or books and things like that. This one donor, Restam Wodahs, who is Greek and they donated these things for protection as well as instructions which are mostly in Greek because their English isn't too good but Pippy speaks the language so he understands."

"And that's not weird?"

"They've been donating for years, since before Pippy took over, since before Pippy even worked here. This is the first time that they've given anything besides money though. Minerva always rather liked them, some people only wish to donate so they get something in return such as special treatment or allowances or a tower named after them but Wodahs is perfectly content to remain in the shadows. Is that all?"

"Erm..." Scorpius started to say, trying to think of a polite way to ask him who he'd killed in the past but stopped himself as Calderon started moving his hands.

Immediately all the water that had been thrown every which way when the bucket exploded started moving, gathering up into a floating ball of soapy water that hovered in the center of the room. Calderon laughed maniacally as he threw his arms outward and the water shot out from the ball, zooming across the floor all around them and up the walls, the windows, you could see the color of everything go lighter as the water touched it before finally it jumped into the air and fell down on them like rain. Calderon clapped his hands and the shards of bucket reformed, the mop plopped into it and vanished.

"Wow."

"I always liked the rain. I was thirteen the first time I went outside and it was raining, water falling from the sky seems like magic when you're experiencing it and not watching it from inside," Calderon told him brightly, turning back to him with a grin and gesturing with his hand again which returned all the tables and benches in a shimmering of light, "same time tomorrow, Scor."

* * *

Lucius sighed irritably as he saw his son leaning against the door-frame and staring into Scorpius' room. Again. The room had been almost a shrine when Scorpius had been missing, they'd all spent some time sitting on the boy's bed and wishing he was home or standing in the doorway and also wishing he was home. Sometimes he wondered if Draco even realized that Scorpius had been saved, he was in Hogwarts not in some muggle hell anymore so they could all relax. Well relax slightly, the boy's first letter had been received that morning and his house placement had been a shock to them all.

"Draco, please," Lucius said rolling his eyes at his son who didn't bother moving, "do you really have nothing better to do than stand there?"

"Don't you have anything better to do than bother me?"

"He's not missing anymore, he's in a school. The school that you wished to send him to."

"I still miss him, okay? Is that so wrong?" Draco snapped irritably, "my little boy is all alone hundreds of miles away in a house full of people who probably hate him. I should never have let him go, he's probably miserable and that's why his letter is so short, he just doesn't want us to worry or take him home. He wasn't ready, I should take him home."

"He was miserable here!" Lucius exclaimed rolling his eyes and Draco shot him a hurt look, "smothering the boy won't help him, it'll kill him. He has to learn to be alone-"

"I think he already knows how to be alone! He was alone for almost a year, all alone surrounded by those evil sick bastards while they... When he needed us most we weren't there for him, I can't help but feel like he shouldn't be alone now. I worry about him. Sometimes he wakes up screaming from the nightmares, what if he does it at school and they pick on him for it? What if they make fun of him for the scar on his wrist? What if he gets picked on because he's a Malfoy? Kids can be cruel and I know how the rest of the wizarding world looks at us. Or what if the teachers give him a hard time? What if the work's too much for him? What if he struggles with magic because he's been around those filthy muggles for so long?"

"I'm sure he's stronger than he looks, he _survived,"_ Lucius pointed out and almost wished he could tell his son about Scorpius killing the muggle, if he could kill a man then surely he could handle anything Hogwarts could throw at him, "I don't think we need to worry about his magic and he'll learn to deal with everything else as it happens. Don't worry so much, I'm sure he's having a great time. Except for being in the wrong house, did you ask him if he was joking or accidentally wrote the wrong house yet?"

"I don't care about that anymore! And I don't care about your expectations! Merlin's beard, father! I just want him to be happy again, I just want him to be okay. Do you even care about him about all?" Draco snapped glaring at him before he turned and walked away.

"You have no idea what I would do for him," Lucius muttered under his breath as he sighed and continued on his way to his study, almost wishing he hadn't when he recognized the person sitting in his chair.

"Shut the door," Celestine commanded and Lucius hesitated to obey, the sandy haired man instead flicked his wand and Lucius heard the door slam behind him, "maybe you don't realize how this works, Lucius. You sold your soul to my master, my master owns you now and the only reason you still have a soul is because thinks you could be useful for awhile. If you aren't going to be useful than my master will just have the Specter consume your soul, how long you have left is up to you."

"What Specter? What are you talking about?" Lucius wondered as he scowled deeply, Celestine only smiled.

"Look carefully."

Lucius didn't really understand but as Celestine spoke the shadows around him seemed to multiply, he opened his mouth to ask why but Celestine only pointed at the darkness. Lucius sighed and looked at the shadows, it took him a moment to realize the shadow was now human shaped but seemed more corporeal than normal shadows. In fact it didn't seem to belong to Celestine at all, it seemed to be standing up and it had eyes or at least pitch black holes where the eyes would be if it was person or even it had any other features. Lucius shivered, it felt... wrong.

"Some people are better at noticing them than others, depends on how observant you are I guess. My master calls them Specters although they have been known as Shadows too," Celestine told him, still grinning, "my master controls them, uses them as eyes and ears as well as the obvious, they can hide inside objects or people. Most people anyway, they can't touch those with gray souls unless the host willing agrees. The second you agreed to give up your soul one went inside you, its been there ever since so my master could keep an eye on you and should you do anything that displeases us... well it will consume your soul."

"Th-That thing is inside me?" Lucius stammered, he felt sick and stumbled towards the couch. He needed to sit down.

"One of them, yes. As a gray soul you needed to agree and so you did, now you can't get rid of it."

"I don't feel any different."

"Well you wouldn't, its dormant at present. Just there so the master can observe you and be ready for when its needed."

"What if I die?"

"It'll be there to take your soul before it can move beyond."

"Did you sell your soul too?" Lucius wondered feeling incredibly hopeless.

"No, I choose to serve my master," Celestine stated almost dreamily with the most devoted expression that Lucius had ever seen on anyone, "I love the master. I would do anything that is asked of me, I would give my soul up in a heartbeat if it was required. Anyone who wouldn't is despicable, my master's going to remake the world and turn it into a better place."

"And how exactly does one do that?" Lucius asked deadpan, _what have I gotten myself into now?_

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Celestine shot back as he seemed to regain his composure, "if you're lucky you might survive long enough to see it. For now though you just have a task to test the defenses of Hogwarts."

"Take my soul. I won't help you do anything to put Scorpius at risk."

"Would you just let me finish?" Celestine snapped glaring at him, "we just need you to go into the school, say its to visit your grandchild but with you you'll have an object containing a Specter. Just place the object anywhere, when its alone the Specter will try to step outside the object. Some old magic protects the school from them, they can survive inside people or things but not outside of them, we're taking steps to overcome this and my master wishes to see if its working. The Specter will either be banished from the castle like the others or will go back inside the object, you can pick it back up as you leave. Your grandchild is safe."

"I can't just randomly show up at the school."

"My master thought you might say something like that to try get out of it so my master thought of a cover story for you. The Quidditch tryouts are coming up, you will say you wish for Scorpius to tryout and bring him a new broom on which to do so. The Specter will be hidden inside your cloak, you'll claim to be hot and leave your cloak near your point of arrival before being escorted to meet your grandson. While you watch him tryout, the Specter will be alone and can carry out the test. After the tryout you just pick up the cloak as you're leaving, simple."

"I guess... well..." Lucius tried to protest but really couldn't think of anything to say to that, "why do you want to do this anyway?"

"Because my master desires it."

"But why?"

"That's all you need to know. I suggest you make arrangements for it unless you don't wish to comply and the Specter consumes your soul, my master will just find another way to test it so it would be extremely pointless of you," Celestine informed him standing up, "we'll be in touch."

Lucius watched as Celestine stepped back into the shadows and vanished, the Specters along with him. Except the one supposedly in him. He sighed and looked across at the mirror, he saw a tired old man staring back. He let his head fall into his hands, he felt like a tired old man, he felt too old for all this. He'd just wanted his grandson back, for Scorpius to be okay. He'd wanted a good thing, wasn't good supposed to win? Why was he being punished for doing the right thing?

* * *

_**Thanks to: **Lucifersdaughter, Diddleymaz and Aya Diefair for reviewing!_


	29. I: The Assistant's Assistant

_**Author's Note: **Kinda a filler chapter this, hope you don't mind_

* * *

The second week was much easier for Scorpius, everything settled into comfortable routine after he had a better sense of what it was like at Hogwarts and what was expected of you. Not that it always was easy, despite what Calderon had said he still worried about the blood runes and Varanian.

He genuinely did enjoy the lessons though, he lived for his next Flying lesson even though he had to force himself to not stray away from the allocated area and sway from instructions. The second lesson wasn't quite as good as the first, his broom kept randomly veering to the left and they had to take a ten minute break when Michael crashed through a window and had to be taken to the hospital wing, he was a better flyer than Albus though. Scorpius still loved being in the air though, even tedious instruction and a class full of talking students couldn't take that away from him. He couldn't wait for the next one. Despite his love for flying he did turn down Hal's offer, he had no time to take him up on it and just because he loved flying it didn't mean that he wanted to be on the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

After Flying his favorite lessons were easily Transfiguration and Defense Against the Dark Arts, he found both of them equally fascinating and exciting. He loved hearing about the different branches of Transfiguration and such, Albus would groan when Professor McGonagall started to lecture them but he would only sit up straighter. Defense Against the Dark Arts was equally interesting, he loved when Professor Ashain would go on a tangent about a particular spell or creature or his experience with either. The practical aspect of both could be hard work at times but he enjoyed the challenge, made him feel more of a sense of accomplishment when he continued to excel at both.

He excelled at Charms too but he didn't enjoy it, he was all too aware of what had happened before, while everyone else relaxed a bit and enjoyed the class. Scorpius would be on edge, focusing intently on just carrying out the task and not hurting anyone. Professor Flitwick kept a really close on eye on him when he was performing magic and he thought everyone else held their breaths a little whenever he raised his wand. History of Magic was the only other subject he didn't like very much, he didn't think anyone - excluding Michael and possibly Rose - did. He thought it was easily the most boring class although he still did his best in it, paying attention and keeping up with his homework. You still had to do a subject even if you didn't like it - at least until you were older and could drop subjects - and Scorpius didn't want to fail any subject, it would just prove he was weak to his parents. He was really worried about his family, they still hadn't replied to his letter and he really was beginning to think that he was disowned.

He liked Astronomy, despite the lack of magic use and the fact you had to get up in the middle of the night to do it, although he knew some people in particular really hated that. The view was incredible and the stars were beautiful to look at, his mind had a habit of fantasizing about flying under them at night that he had to try to get out of. In the very first lesson the professor pointed out the constellation bearing his name, it made him feel oddly special to be named after something so incredible.

He liked Potions and Herbology too, learning about what the different potions could do and about the different plants was quite interesting even if they weren't his favorite subjects. Potions was alright, he just didn't enjoy mixing potions as much he enjoyed performing spells. Herbology wasn't as practical as he would have liked although Professor Longbottom wasn't as bad a teacher as his father had made him out to be, although it could be painfully uncomfortably at times.

Once Albus asked the professor something about Dumbledore's Army, it prompted him to talk about his time being trained in secret by Harry Potter while they were under the rule of a sadistic Headmistress and even showed them the coin. Scorpius had wished the ground would swallow him up when the professor mentioned his father as being one of Umbridge's Inquisitorial Squad, even Michael had looked at him funny for that. It actually made him oddly angry that his father hadn't even told him about it, he'd just pretended like he was a loving father when secretly he was this whole other bullying person. He couldn't help but wonder what his father would think if he knew about what Varanian, maybe he would care because Varanian had injured Scorpius but about the other students? If Scorpius wasn't on Varanian's bad side, would his father approve of blood runes and everything? Was his father really that cruel? Scorpius didn't like Nott but even he didn't deserve what was happening.

It was all a lot to remember and take in though, he wasn't surprised Michael was so overwhelmed by it all. Scorpius had struggled with everything muggle when he was first taken, it was like a completely different world that you had to get used to. For Michael it had to be the same, only the opposite as he was thrown into the magical world rather than the muggle one but Scorpius did sympathize and try to help him where he could, getting picked on by James and his friends and tortured by Varanian probably didn't help him much either. Michael still put a brave face on though, he was the one who tried to cheer everyone else up when their spirits were low and make light of everything. When he lay down to sleep his smile would vanish and he would look sick with worry though.

Scorpius didn't have as much free time as the others though, he spent time with them when he could but he did still have his year's worth of detentions to do. How long the detention varied as much as the actual punishment, some lasted barely an hour while others lasted until dinner although they took up most of his weekend. It did cut into his homework time majorly, if they lasted until dinner then he had to stay up and work on his homework by the light of his wand or go down into the common rooms. It was easier to do it in the common rooms but the stares he got did put him off, unless Molly Weasley sat with him. He was surprised the first time she came and sat opposite him, they stayed up late talking as they worked on their studies. He was pleased, he felt comfortable around her and when you were with people the others looked at him less. She believed him about the Charms incident being an accident, even told him about how she'd accidentally turned her friend's head into a teapot in the second year when she'd completely missed the tortoise.

"Accidents happen, Scorpius," she'd said comfortingly, "we're here to learn after all. Least you have power and no one wants to mess with you anymore, that's got to be a plus!"

He didn't mind staying up late to do homework after that, he liked his time with Molly. The detentions themselves weren't actually as bad as he'd thought, he even came to enjoy it sometimes. Calderon would take him from his last lesson of the day but what he did after that was anyone's guess, sometimes he would be left with someone else and they'd assign him his task for the day or other times left alone with a chore. The tasks varied greatly depending on who he'd been left with, some were things like writing lines or sorting books while others were more hands on. He particularly enjoyed Tuesday where he peeled potatoes with the house-elves, he didn't enjoy the task exactly but he enjoyed talking with the house-elves as he worked.

The best though was when Calderon couldn't think of anything for him to do and just had him go along with him for awhile and help out, the assistant's days were as varied as the detentions. There didn't seem to be much happening in Hogwarts that Calderon didn't know about, there was more to his job then just doing things for Varanian. If any of the Hogwarts staff had a problem or even just something that had to be done but they didn't want to do it then Calderon was the one they called to deal with it, he hadn't been exaggerating too much when he said that teachers didn't like doing things.

Some seemed alright and only called him with a genuine problem that they couldn't handle alone or to ask him to help with a particular lesson while others seemed to expect him to do everything, the Arithimancy teacher actually had Calderon grade his student's homework because he couldn't be bothered. He thought it was rather unfair that the assistant got dumped with everyone's problems when he was clearly capable of doing more, he was grading NEWT level homework without difficulty and has already saved everyone's lives on the train. Although Calderon himself seemed perfectly content. There was a noticeable difference between how some of them treated Calderon and how he treated them in turn, most seemed to respect Calderon and be on friendly terms with him and most had been given nicknames by him while others seemed to look down on him and treated him like dirt, those Calderon referred to by their last name and always got to them last.

The Arithimancy teacher in particular was bad for this, he came across as very lazy and very aloof. He didn't even refer to Calderon by his name, just as 'assistant' and demanded rather asked for anything. The first Saturday morning Scorpius was left with him, he made him do lines and referred to Scorpius as 'the assistant's assistant' or 'boy' rather than his name and spent the whole morning complaining about the price of silk robes.

That particular detention Scorpius didn't enjoy but generally it wasn't so bad, especially when he was with Calderon. Calderon seemed to know the layout of the school by heart, the shortest routes, the shortcuts, even the secret passageways and he was picking up much more of the layout himself just by walking with the man. Scorpius enjoyed their conversations too, he felt completely at ease around the assistant even if his random usages of non-verbal wandless magic and high-pitched laughter seemed to bother some people. He still had yet to see Calderon use a wand or say a spell aloud, yet he used magic quite a lot helping out or just walking along the corridor.

The day he was allowed to stop using a walking stick, Calderon literally _danced_ down the corridor, twirling around and clapping his hands in time to music. Waves of light that looked like sheets of music played alongside him as he danced along, he was singing too but it was lost in the song, some people seemed to rather like it while others were wide-eyed. Scorpius just awkwardly walked behind him, waiting for his task and trying not to think about the tryouts happening that day. Molly had been worried about someone trying out who was better than her and taking her position, Albus had wanted to try out too, despite the fact he couldn't stay on his broom for more than five minute intervals but Varanian had refused to let him or any of them off blood rune duty.

"Merlin's bloody..." Professor Ashain muttered stepping outside of the classroom to see what the commotion was about, shaking his head and scowling, "Calderon, what on Earth are you are doing? Are you insane?"

"Quite possibly," Calderon answered with a burst of laughter as he stopped in front of the professor, or at least continued dancing on the spot to the slightly quieter light music hovering around them, "look Ticcy, no cane!"

"Yes, yes well done," the professor commented still scowling as he tried to hand the assistant a piece of paper, "can you just stop moving for two seconds? You're so hyperactive, I swear you're worse than my three year-old! There's Varanian's stupid weekly assessment."

"Sorry, Ticcy," Calderon offered as he stopped moving and clapped his hand, the music and lights died in an instant before he took the paper.

"Why do you call me Ticcy? I'm not a clock, Calderon!"

"You seem to be in a bad mood, Ticcy."

"What's there to be in a good mood about? Varanian has us trapped in the middle of nowhere."

"Hmm..." Calderon mused folding his arms thoughtfully, "can you do me a favor?"

"If I do then will you stop calling me Ticcy?" Professor Ashain wondered tiredly.

"Hmm... No. Scor here has to have a detention, would you give him something do to while I go do some stuff for Varanian? He can help you with something, he's a hard-worker."

"I don't need help with anything."

"Then just give him lines," Calderon shrugged before turning and starting to skip away, "thanks, Ticcy."

"Wait! I didn't say yes! Calder- Dammit," Professor Ashain called after the assistant before he slipped out of sight, the professor sighed heavily, "well I guess you're doing lines, Scorpius."

Scorpius nodded and followed the professor back inside the classroom, usually lines weren't his favorite detention activity but Professor Ashain was his favorite teacher so he supposed it could be worse. It was a lot better than what his allies were suffering through at least. Professor Ashain led him up the small stone steps at the front of the class, Scorpius hadn't been up there before and he saw it was a small office room. There was a small table with chairs and a few bookcases crammed with battered looking books, a few tapestries decorated the walls. There was a desk too, a stack of parchment on one side that looked like homework ready to be marked but what really drew his attention was the cluster of photographs on the desk.

They were muggle photographs. He'd got used to seeing them with Marvin, the pictures didn't move. Scorpius always hated them, he always thought the people in them looked so trapped, they couldn't move after all, they were just stuck in that one position forever. It seemed cruel. Professor Ashain's pictures all seemed to be of the same people, the professor himself in muggle clothes, a pretty slender woman with wavy straw-colored hair and sea-green eyes and two small children. Scorpius walked over and picked up the nearest one while the professor was searching for spare parchment, the eldest was a little boy with wavy dark auburn hair brushed back and the same eyes as the woman while the younger was a girl with straw-colored hair and dark eyes.

"Don't touch those, please," Professor Ashain told him as replaced the picture before handing him some parchment, a quill and some ink, "go sit at that table and write 'I must learn to obey Varanian's stupid rules' a hundred times and see how long that takes. I'm sorry, I'm not good at detentions. I never had any so I'm not quite sure what they're really supposed to entail."

"Okay," Scorpius agreed and went over to sit at the table, starting out on the lines. Professor Ashain looked at the pictures for a moment before sighing miserably and taking a seat at the desk, tackling the pile of parchments.

"Some people are just... argh!" the professor grumbled to himself, "this boy's spelled werewolf as W-E-A-R wolf. Who writes _wearwolf_? Its unbelievable. Who teaches these kids to spell? If I'd spelled that badly at half his age then my grandfather would have had me over his knee in an instant, wouldn't be able to sit right for a week but at least I could spell. Okay I know that's too harsh but Wearwolf, honestly and for a third year. Well I am marking you down for that Mr... oh for the love of- how can you spell your own name wrong!"

"Sounds frustrating."

"Yes it is. Think homework's tough, try marking it. You want them to do well but they go and write about _wear_wolves."

"That sucks," Scorpius commented awkwardly, the professor did seem to be in an unusually bad mood but his curiosity got the better of him, "Professor, if you don't mind me asking... Whose in those muggle pictures?"

"They're my family," Professor Ashain answered with an odd mixture of pride and sadness in his voice as he picked up one of the photographs, "my son Antonius Brutus, he's five now. My daughter Cassia, after my mother and she's only three... and of course my wife, Skye... I miss them, its three months today since I last saw them."

"What happened to them?" Scorpius asked, starting to wonder if they'd been murdered by Death Eaters or Shadows or had gone missing or something. He hadn't realized his spoken his last thoughts aloud until the professor's eyes widened in shock.

"No, no nothing like that! As far as I know anyway. Why would you even think that?!"

"Sorry, I just... sorry, my mind kinda jumped to the worst outcome. Go on."

"Well... about nine years ago there was a particular bad incident, as you know I was an Auror and we were trying to track down a rather vicious Death Eater named Roland Seraph, he didn't do too much of note during the war but in the years after he was good at banding together Death Eaters in hiding to fight back, he was causing quite a stir at the time. Basically we had a tip off about his whereabouts that turned out to be kinda wrong and a trap and um... I won't go into detail but a lot of Aurors died, a lot of Death Eaters too but Seraph got away and Harry and I were lucky to get away with our lives, I nearly died though. Woke up in hospital a week later, not an experience I'd like to repeat but I was awarded a commendation from the Minster himself."

"Congratulations," Scorpius offered impressed but Professor Ashain just shook his head.

"No, I didn't deserve it, those Aurors who died deserved instead. I don't want to be commended for killing Death Eaters, killing should never be commended. And you know just because Death Eaters are bad, it doesn't mean they don't have families and brothers who love them and wish they were still alive," Professor Ashain continued and Scorpius got the impression he was referring to his own brother, "I needed a break from all that for awhile, from magic too so I thought I'd try living amongst muggles for awhile. That's when I met Skye and we fell in love and everything was perfect and I was happy but I... kinda... never told her I was a wizard, she's very skeptical about things like that and I was afraid she would take it badly. I figured as long as I didn't use magic - or at least not use it around her - then it didn't matter. Somehow it completely skipped my mind that our children would almost certainly be magical."

"Yeah. Half-bloods."

"Yes. I was covering up their magic since they were babies, I knew I had to tell her at some point though, preferably before the first Hogwarts acceptance letter arrived. And then on her third birthday Cassia managed to make her cake dance, she was rather pleased by this but Skye was rather not. I had to tell her then, about being a wizard and magic and everything and I got my wand and showed her some magic to prove it... and... she seemed to be taking it better than I'd thought... Until she told me I was a freak and I was evil for turning our kids into freaks and she never wanted to see me again and I should stay away from her and them and... yeah," Professor Ashain said, he sounded devastated and looked heartbroken, pain flickering in his eyes. It made Scorpius angry, it was just more proof that muggles were bad, "I did what she wanted for awhile, thought she just needed some time but then I started trying to talk to her and finally she said that she would call if she changed her mind and until then to stay the hell away so... so now I just keep hoping that she'll call and everything will be okay again."

* * *

_**Thanks to: **Lucifersdaughter, Diddleymaz and Red for reviewing! _


	30. I: Lucius' Day

Lucius was pacing around his study anxiously, he'd pulled every string he had left in order to get him into Hogwarts as he'd been told to do. Scorpius' broom lay on his desk, the _Dart _was rather simply named but was currently the fastest broom on the market as well as the most expensive, he'd decided at the very least some good could come of it as Scorpius would gain a broom and be able to try out, he may not succeed but Lucius hoped it might remind his grandson of his hopes and dreams. He'd sold his soul for the boy, he wanted him to have the best life possible. He was all set on his end. However his mysterious new... acquaintances had yet to give him the cloak he was supposed to be discarding for their test, it was almost time for him to leave and if they weren't there soon-

"Nervous, Lucius?" a voice spoke from behind him and Lucius jumped as he saw Brutus leering at him from the corner of his couch, he hadn't been there a second a go.

"You're late," Lucius snapped angrily snatching up the broom but Brutus held up his hand as he stood.

"No, I'm not. The master wishes for you to see something before you go, had to make sure it was in place for you to see first. A few minutes makes no difference to the master."

"Well it makes a difference to me!"

"And the master really doesn't give a damn about what makes a difference to you," Brutus pointed out, snatching the broom from him and tossing it aside before he offered out his palm, "take my hand, Lucius."

"I'd rather not."

"I can't show you if you don't take my hand, if I can't show you then the master won't be very happy with you and you don't want to be out of the master's favor."

Lucius sighed heavily and reluctantly took hold of Brutus' grotesque misshapen hand, he saw a flicker of a smile in the man's dark eyes before the shadows engulfed them. It didn't feel like apparating, Lucius felt like he'd been thrown off a cliff. It was as if the air had been forced from his lungs and he felt naked as wind was gliding across his skin, chilling wind that made him want to shiver. He wasn't sure if he did shiver, he couldn't see nothing for the shadowy darkness, he couldn't even breath, he just clung to Brutus' hand for dear life.

Then it was over. He staggered into Brutus gasping for breath, his knees felt weak and he wasn't entirely sure that he wasn't going to pass out. Roughly he felt himself being shoved away and he was knocked to the ground, Lucius struggled to care in that moment, just sat against the wall breathing heavily.

"Don't worry, you get use to that."

Lucius shot the grinning man a dark look, he didn't want to get used to that. Whatever _that_ was. It was the first time Lucius realized that they were no longer in his study, it looked like a drawing room, much smaller than the one at the manor. In fact he thought it was about the same size as his study, perhaps even smaller and crammed with frilly decorations, flowers and photographs. Brutus started muttering spells and casting them at each of the four walls as Lucius managed to get to his feet and collapse onto the couch instead, his eyes wanted to close... He felt a painful slap against his cheek, blinking his eyes open as he was roughly hauled into a sitting position.

"You need to be up for this, Malfoy," Brutus growled quickly before turning away, Lucius barely had time to register footsteps before a young brunette woman appeared in the doorway.

"What the-" the woman started to say as she brought out her wand but was cut off as Brutus disarmed her with a non verbal spell and kept his wand aimed on her, her eyes widened in fear.

"Maria Snyder, is it?" Brutus questioned of the terrified woman who nodded, Brutus' grin only widened, "why don't you take a seat? Take that chair from the desk and bring it over here, chop-chop now, we don't have all day."

Maria Snyder swallowed fearfully and took the chair from under the desk by the doorway, carrying it over to them and placing it down beneath the chandelier. She opened her mouth to speak before Brutus grabbed her and forced her onto the chair, she burst into tears instead.

"Please don't hurt me," she sobbed, "I don't have a lot of money but you can take as much as you want."

"The master isn't interest in your money. In fact the master isn't interested in you at all, you see your father agreed to help us in exchange for making sure you don't go to Azkaban for jinxing that muggle. The master held up our end but your father decided to turn against us and the master really despises traitors."

"My father's dead!"

"Oh, I know. My associate killed him, he can't be with us today because he has to work at his other job unfortunately."

"Are... Are you going to kill me too?" Maria asked tearfully, her eyes were bulging with terror but Brutus only laughed.

"No I'm not but believe me, death would be preferable to this but the master wishes Lucius to see what will happen to him and to his family as well if he doesn't do as he's told... I truly am sorry for this," Brutus told her, sounding regretful as he backed away from her.

Maria looked as confused as Lucius felt before he noticed the shadows advancing on her, they seemed to vanish as they stepped through her. Abruptly her body started to shudder, like she was having a seizure. She started screaming as her body convulsed worse and worse, screaming and screaming as sparks of light and dark seemed to jump from her body. Lucius tried to look away from Brutus grabbed his head, his nails digging in painfully to Lucius' scalp and forced his head to turn and watch, it seemed to last forever but in reality was probably only a few minutes.

Finally her screaming subsided and she stopped moving, her head was thrown violently back to face staring up at the ceiling. The Specters shot out of her in all directions and from her mouth floated a strange ball of light, no bigger than a fist. Brutus let go of his head to go over to it, he took a box thing from the inside of his coat and caught the light-ball in it before replacing it in his coat.

"Is... Is that her soul?" Lucius wondered fearfully but Brutus shook his head.

"No, its not the same as a Dementor's kiss. They don't suck out the soul, they tear it to shreds, rip it in pieces to feed off of it... there's nothing left. She was a witch, the master's taught them to leave the victim's magic, raw power that the master likes collected."

"Why?"

"Only the master knows."

"You people don't ask questions? Please, Brutus, we used to be friends, we served the Dark Lord together. If I'm losing my soul then I'd at least like answers."

"Friends?" Brutus repeated before laughing heavily, "pretty sure you looked down on me, you all looked down on me for my family, for looking like this, people think it means I'm an idiot. Only the master recognized my brilliance, the master loves me and the master _chose_ to save me especially and enlist me in this cause."

"Surprised your master would trust someone who turned on their last master."

"I never turned on Him! When the master saved me I was knocked unconscious, by the time I woke the battle was over and the Dark Lord was dead. You're the one who turned on Him, you're the traitor. The master is greater than He ever was," Brutus snarled defensively, "the Dark Lord was brilliant but also let his obsession with immortality get in the way of his progress, the master learns from His mistakes and the master will not fail like He did."

"I would like to meet your master, I'd like to meet the one who owns my soul and if I'm going to be working for someone then I would like to meet them. I have a right to speak to them in person."

"The master can hear you."

"Well then you heard me! I want to meet you and I won't do another damn thing after this unless you talk to me yourself, at least give me that," Lucius told the invisible presence, he had an odd determination to meet the one who would take his soul.

"I'm sure the master will consider it," Brutus told him blandly and waved his wand.

A length of rope appeared and wrapped itself around Maria's neck as a noose. It took Lucius a moment to realize that while she seemed to be staring sightlessly at nothing, she was still breathing. The noose rose into the air and hung her from the chandelier, Brutus kicked the chair from under her and her body dropped. Her leg twitched for awhile before her whole body went limp, she wasn't breathing then. Brutus nodded as if pleased with his work before putting away his wand and offered his hand to Lucius once more.

"Please, can't we just ap-"

Lucius was cut off as Brutus grabbed his arm instead and tugged him into the darkness, a moment later Lucius was falling to his knees in front of the couch in his study and gasping for breath once more. He didn't know how anyone was supposed to get used to that feeling. A cloak was tossed over his shoulder and he tiredly looked up at Brutus, the other man seemed completely unaffected by the transition.

"We'll be in touch," Brutus spoke as he stepped back into the shadows and vanished. Lucius sighed heavily and angrily slammed his fist against the leather couch.

"And now my hand hurts," Lucius mumbled irritably as he shook his hand and got to his shaking legs, trying not to think about the girl losing her soul to those things... he shivered, almost wishing he didn't know his fate. He didn't want to lose his soul, he didn't want that to happen to him. He wanted it to happen to his family even less though, they'd targeted the woman just for being some guy's daughter. It wasn't fair, the guy was apparently dead after all so what purpose did it have? Other than to show him what they were willing to do.

Miserably he put on the cloak and grabbed the broom, checking the time quickly and realizing that Brutus had made him late. Frustratedly he headed for the fireplace to Floo himself to the school, the headmaster had been explicit about punctuality but he supposed it couldn't be helped. He stepped out of the fireplace and tried to put it all out of his mind even though he felt weak, at least he would get to see his grandson. He smiled at that.

"What the hell are you smiling about? You're late," a man snapped at him immediately and Lucius lost his smile. He was a tall, slender man with stringy blond hair and silvery gray eyes that were glaring at him as he sat in the headmaster's chair.

"I got held up, is that a crime?" Lucius sneered, he didn't like the man's attitude and as he looked around the room he almost thought that he'd come to the wrong place. Before when he'd come to the headmaster's office there were portraits covering the walls but they were all turned away, Lucius thought it was disturbing.

"I have better things to do than wait on Death Eater scum like yourself."

"Are you the headmaster, Varanian is it?"

"Yes."

"Pippy, I-" a second man started as he came into the room, he stopped when he saw Lucius though. The man seemed to get even paler than he was already that made the half-healed wounds on his cheeks look even more livid, his dark eyes widened fearfully and never left Lucius' face as he walked over to the still glaring headmaster, dropping the piece of paper he was holding on the desk, "what's... what's he doing here?"

"You remember me saying to you about Lucius Malfoy wanting to visit his grandson for some stupid Quidditch thing," Varanian said to the dark-haired man who dressed like a filthy muggle, Lucius wrinkled his nose in disgust that they let people like that work at Hogwarts, he was probably a squib or at least a mudblood.

"I remember you saying that you'd turned him down."

"The Ministry overruled me. Isn't it obvious? They're all against us, Marius, the Ministry has been corrupted by the dark influence by the Death Eaters once more. They sent their ringleader to see what defenses we have before they launch their attack."

"I'm right here!" Lucius exclaimed angrily, the headmaster could at least wait to discuss his insane paranoia when not in his presence, although considering the people who now owned him wanted to test the school defenses on Specters he supposed that perhaps the paranoia was justified. He was beginning to regret insisting Scorpius be sent to Hogwarts, then again maybe he was better off as far away from the Specter people as possible.

"Good, you should know that we're on to you and if you attack my school then we will stop you and I will kill you."

"Glad we have that cleared up," Lucius muttered, seriously wondering about the headmaster's sanity, "so where's my grandson? I mentioned it in more than one letter that I was coming, I assumed he would be here to greet me."

"We have new regulations about the mail, Scorpius hasn't received it yet," Varanian spoke up calmly and the other man, presumably Marius, shot him a dark look, Lucius also scowled wondering what could be keeping his mail from him, "besides he's in a detention. Isn't he, Marius?"

"Doing lines as we speak," Marius muttered.

"After this is done I expect him to go back to having a detention."

"Why does he have a detention?" Lucius wondered in surprise, Scorpius wasn't a trouble-maker and he'd heard nothing of any detention in the boy's one and only letter.

"He nearly killed his class."

"How?!"

"Marius can tell you as he takes you there. You're to be escorted everywhere while you're on school grounds, you're not to be left alone at any time."

"Please Pippy, I can't. Not him."

"You will do it, or else."

"How wonderful," Lucius mumbled sarcastically. _Because I don't feel enough like a prisoner with a Specter inside m_e, he thought bitterly as he took off the cloak and discarded it on a nearby chair, "also I'm rather hot, I'm going to leave my cloak here."

"It's minus temperature outside," Marius pointed out quietly, "if you want to watch Scor tryout then you'll be outside in the cold."

"Marius, if the Death Eater wants to be freezing then let him be freezing. Let him suffer, he deserves it," Varanian interrupted with a slight smile as he stood and headed for the door, "now I have to get back to supervising Markus and the others' detention."

"Michael!"

"Whatever his name is! I can't be expected to remember everyone's names, that's what your for!" Varanian called back from out of sight, his voice getting quieter as he his footsteps retreated into silence. Marius remained standing before the desk, unmoving. Lucius cleared his throat and the man flinched, Lucius decided he must be rather slow and even considered just leaving and see if he followed but he didn't know where Scorpius was.

"Well?" Lucius spoke up after a minute and Marius finally looked fearfully back at him, he tried to speak slowly to make sure the man understood, "you're taking me to my grandson, remember? Scorpius Malfoy. The one doing lines."

"I'm not stupid, I never was," Marius told him sounding slightly defensive but still was nervous looking, odd lights starting dancing around him and he fidgeted awkwardly with his arms, "come on then."

"What's with the lights?" Lucius wondered unnerved by it, it reminded him slightly of the light ball from the color as Marius started to lead him to the exit.

"Don't you like it? I'm doing that."

"Well done," Lucius muttered sarcastically, shaking his head at how bad Hogwarts had gotten as he followed the crazy man with the lights all around them, "can you stop that?"

"Is that better?"

As he spoke the lights changed color and became more like patterns flowing around them, ever changing and ever moving, Lucius scowled but it was slightly better. They continued walking in silence for awhile, Marius kept his head bowed miserably and didn't seem to be paying much attention to the lights or to where they were going.

"How are you doing that?" Lucius couldn't help but ask after awhile, "you're not even looking at them, you have no wand, you've said no spell."

"It's magic."

"Could you try be more specific?" Lucius snapped and Marius flinched again, the intensity of the lights increased.

"I learned to control it, the magic. I still can't stop it but I can control what it does, I can use it on demand too."

"Why not just use a wand like everyone else?" Lucius demanded irritably and Marius frowned.

"Don't you remember me?" Marius asked and Lucius' scowl deepened, he looked at the man intently. He did look vaguely familiar but Lucius couldn't place him, he shook his head and the lights all turned red, "how can you not remember me?!"

"Why should I remember you?" Lucius wondered as Marius led him into a classroom.

"Yes!" Marius snapped, his voice getting strangely high-pitched and the lights flared all around them, "you... you tortured me! I was only thirteen years old, how can you not remember that?!"

"Well I don't remember that. I don't really like remembering things from the wars anyway, I have some unpleasant memories."

"No!" Marius shrieked and snatched Lucius' walking stick from his hand, drawing the replacement wand he kept hidden inside it and aiming it for Lucius' neck, the lights became fire blazing all around them, "you don't get to say that! You tortured me! You _tortured_ me. Do you have any idea what the Cruciatus Curse feels like?! Do you have any idea how painful it is?! Do you know what that does to a child?! You and the others made our lives hell, every second... How can you not remember?!"

"I don't know," Lucius sneered irritably, he really wasn't in the mood for it and he had no idea what the man was talking about. The wand trembled in Marius hand like he wasn't used to holding one and he looked on the verge of tears, Lucius didn't think he was in danger although he could feel the intense heat from the flames, "but I don't remember you, I guess you're that insignificant. Now just give me back my wand and calm down, it was years ago, it was nothing, get over it."

"It wasn't nothing to me! I can't forget! I can't use magic normally because of what you all did to me!"

"Well what do you expect me to do? Apologize?"

"You wouldn't mean it. I want you to remember!"

"Ah yes... _that_ Marius, of course I remember you now so you can calm down," Lucius invented but this just seemed to infuriate Marius more, the fires blazed blue, they were so hot Lucius could feel the sweat on his brow and see it on Marius' as the man fought back tears.

"That wasn't my name. Don't lie to me," Marius whispered but lowered the wand and shoved it back into Lucius' spare hand, "watch him Ticcy."

"Bloody lunatic," Lucius muttered irritably as Marius ran off and the magic flames died, he was about to call after him that he still needed to take him to Scorpius when he noticed the boy out of the corner of his eye. He saw Scorpius and a man he didn't know but he presumed was 'Ticcy', standing at the top of the stone steps to the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher's office looking down on them.

* * *

_**Author's Note: **Okay this chapter ended up longer than I thought again but was going to switch back to Scorpius' point of view anyway so good place to stop. A bit of backstory on Calderon there for you though, people who are curious**  
**_

_**Thanks to: **Aya Diefair and Diddleymaz for reviewing! _


	31. I: The Quidditch Tryout

Scorpius descended the stairs awkwardly, caught somewhere between anger and fear and outright horror that his grandfather had tortured Calderon. He knew Death Eaters had done bad things, his knew his family had done bad things but it was all vague and general. It was different knowing your grandfather had hurt someone you cared about it, it was different seeing someone so distraught over it. He had no idea why his grandfather was even there or why he was carrying a broom, was that the only way Varanian allowed people into the school? Was he there to take him home? If he was then Scorpius intended to refuse, at least until he made sure Calderon was okay and got Rose's letter about Varanian to smuggle out to her parents.

"What happened to you?" his grandfather - _Lucius_- asked immediately, the broom fell from his fingers as he went to reach out to the half-healed mark on Scorpius' face. Scorpius angrily jerked his head away and his grandfather's hand jerked away as if burned, he didn't want to be touched by hands that had tortured people.

"Don't touch me," Scorpius snapped, trying to get around Lucius to go after Calderon but the elder Malfoy blocked his path.

"Where are you trying to go?"

"To make sure Calderon is alright, obviously, you upset him."

"Of course, you're worried about the deranged lunatic who attacked me. Honestly Scorpius, you're supposed to be spending time with normal people to make you normal again not crazy people who attack your family," Lucius complained and Scorpius glared at him angrily, forcing himself not to blurt out that Calderon had saved his life, all of their lives.

"If Calderon was attacking you then he wouldn't need a wand, and he's not a lunatic. He's a good person, the kind of person who'd risk his life without hesitation to save others because its the right thing to do... And you have no idea what he's done for me, more than you ever have," Scorpius snarled defensively and Lucius looked taken back, "and how could you torture him? How could you torture anyone? And then you just turn around and pretend like you don't even remember, you're... you're a coward! Just a coward. A bully and a coward, that's all you are. And you know I always hated being put in Gryffindor but at least I know I'm nothing like you."

"Scorpius..." Lucius started to say but seemed to struggle for words, "you have no idea what I've done for you, what I've sacrificed for you so don't go saying things like that. Just because a silly old hat put you in Gryffindor, it doesn't mean you stopped being a Malfoy. And maybe you're more like me then you think, you're far from a saint now. I'm sure you've done things that aren't so good too, things you regret possibly or at least know aren't good and I'm sure you'll do more before you get to my age, its part of life. I have enough things I regret without adding torturing people I don't remember to the list, I wasn't pretending."

"How can you not remember torturing someone?" Scorpius wondered bitterly, he may not know what it was like to be tortured magically but he'd at least suffered at the muggle's hands and he could never forget that.

"I don't know, did you ever consider that maybe he got me confused with someone else? Torture is very mental damaging."

"He seemed pretty sure to me, you know he was really happy before you showed up. Why are you here anyway? If you're here to take me home then I don't want to go, why are you taking me instead of my parents anyway? Wait, they are okay right?"

"They're fine and I'm not here to take you home!" Lucius exclaimed and Scorpius did feel mildly relieved, he liked having things to do at Hogwarts despite Varanian, "I'm here to do you a good deed, to help you. I brought you this broom, the _Dart, _fastest broom on the market."

"But first years aren't allowed brooms and I don't understand how that helps me anyway," Scorpius pointed out in confusion and Lucius took a deep breath before continuing.

"You make it extremely difficult to do a good deed for sometimes, you know? It's so you can tryout for Quidditch, I explained it in the letters that you apparently haven't got yet. You've been taking about being a Seeker since you were so young, its your dream and you have to start somewhere."

"I don't really care about that anymore. Didn't you always say that it was a stupid dream and being a Quidditch player isn't a very good career choice anyway?"

"So I can't have a change of heart? It was your dream and... and you shouldn't give up on that, not because of some filthy muggle scum. It made you happy and... and I do want you to be happy, no matter what you think of me," Lucius told him awkwardly and Scorpius was stunned, he found him torturing Calderon easier to believe than that. He wasn't quite sure what to say, he just stood there in the increasingly more uncomfortably silence as he was stared at expectantly, "aren't you going to say something?"

"I... I don't know what to say."

"You could say thank you or we could just go to these tryouts before you miss out."

At this Lucius picked up the broom and handed it to him, Scorpius still didn't really want to be part of such a stupid game, even though he loved flying but then again it would be rude to just turn round and refuse to do it. It was still suspiciously nice of his grandfather, Scorpius couldn't help but wonder if he had an ulterior motive, that was definitely easier to believe. Lucius started leading him away and Professor Ashain was on their heel, Scorpius had almost completely forgotten about him.

"You don't have to come with us," Lucius sneered at the professor. Scorpius managed not to sigh, was his grandfather really incapable of being nice to anyone for more than five seconds?

"Calderon said to watch you," Professor Ashain pointed out blandly with a hint of disdain in his eyes as he looked at Lucius, "so I'm going to watch you."

"Why? Its not like the headmaster insisted I be escorted everywhere."

"Really? That sounds_ exactly_ like Varanian," the professor stated as they kept walking and Lucius looked like he regretted saying that.

"What kind of name is Ticcy anyway?"

"My name isn't Ticcy, Calderon just calls me that because... well I don't know."

"Because he's insane?"

"You don't get to say that about him," Professor Ashain snapped almost defensively.

Lucius seemed to roll his eyes at this and turned his attention back to Scorpius, quizzing him about almost killing his class and his studies in general, also about his cheek that he vaguely brushed off as bullies and made a point of saying Calderon was the one who'd helped him, it was a half truth. Scorpius patiently told him about the accident in Charms as they moved outside into the cold, it was freezing outside under the ominous overcast sky, Lucius seemed oddly proud of his power more than concerned that he'd injured people. He moved onto quizzing him on his subjects and seemed pleased with Scorpius' progress with spells, although thought he should think more of potions.

In a way Scorpius was glad of the distraction because as they reached the Quidditch pitch his stomach decided to churn anxiously, a bunch of students were gathered listening to some boy giving a speech about his hopes as newly appointed Quidditch Captain and to not to take his decisions personally, they would be based off skill alone. He recognized the crowd vaguely as Gryffindors that he'd seen around, Molly and James were the only ones he really knew by name. They all stopped to look at him as he approached, he stomach practically did a somersault at that and he swallowed nervously.

"Oh good, they don't seem to have started yet," Lucius offered in a tone resembling cheerfulness, "go for it, good luck."

Lucius seemed content to clap him on the back at this and head towards the stands, Scorpius supposed it was good that he'd be in the air soon because his legs felt like lead and his feet lumps of ice that didn't want to move towards the sea of eyes.

"Relax, Scorpius," Professor Ashain told him comfortingly and Scorpius almost jumped, he'd expected him to follow Lucius but then Lucius was still in sight.

"First years never make the teams, this is pointless. I'm just going to fail and everyone's going to mock me for it," Scorpius blurted out worriedly, lowering his gaze.

"Don't worry about it, don't think about trying out, don't think about succeeding or failing. You've mentioned you love flying more than once, just have fun like you do in the lessons. Forget everything else, as long as you enjoy yourself than it doesn't really matter if you fail because you still got something out of it."

"Thanks," Scorpius muttered and exchanged nervous smiles with the professor before he went after Lucius. Scorpius took a deep breath, that did make him feel better and at least if he failed then he could check on Calderon faster, before carrying on towards the others, "I'm here to try out."

"Alright, next time try to be on time, Malfoy," the lanky Quidditch Captain who'd been given the speech told him, he had a mop of dark stringy hair that covered his eyes and Scorpius was half surprised that he could see through it.

"Next time don't come at all," James jeered at him, "you're just going to fail, regardless of what fancy broom your Death Eater grand-daddy got you."

"Hey," the Captain growled, "enough with the attitude, its bad sportsmanship to mock the other players and we're Gryffindors, we do not lower ourselves to those standards regardless of who the other person is. We're not bad sportspeople and we're not cheats. Is that clear?"

"Yes," James said sulkily but the Captain seemed content with it.

"Okay, Malfoy, you didn't miss too much. I'm Cole Stampson, I'm sixth year and the new Quidditch Captain," Cole informed him before turning back to address the crowd, "as I was saying, there's a lot of openings this year. Some of our best players just graduated and Victoire has opted to drop out as our star Beater to concentrate on her exams, so plenty of room for the rest of us to prove ourselves, eh? I know some of you were told that certain positions would be yours this year but I intend to do this fairly, I'm judging you on what you do today so try your best everyone, you can always try out next year and I'll be picking plenty of reserves. Now, I want everyone to get in the air and do laps to see how you can fly."

"I wish you'd told me that you were going to try out," Molly commented to him as they all mounted their brooms.

"I didn't know, grandfather kinda sprung this on me."

"Which position are you going for?"

"Seeker," Scorpius answered nervously as they rose into the air.

"In your dreams, Malfoy!" James hissed at him, howling with laughed as he zoomed between the two of them and took off.

"My cousin can be a real ass sometimes, just ignore him," a boy said and Scorpius was surprised to see a stocky dark-skinned boy was the speaker, he had a shock of red dreadlocks though and his smile was kind, "best of luck to you."

"Thanks, you too," Scorpius offered.

"Don't need luck, I got skill," the boy told him as he winked, "they don't call me Fast Freddie Weasley for nothing but thanks anyway."

"No one calls you that but you," Molly pointed out but Freddie only laughed and sped off.

Scorpius smiled slightly as he joined the laps with the others, he held back a bit at first as he was used to the broom vibrating if he went too fast or too high and he wasn't used to the _Dart_. After awhile, Cole announced he wanted to see how they did at dodging and released the Bludgers and he couldn't hold back then. He was darting and weaving his way through the sky to dodge the speeding black balls, the air seemed to be in chaos and a few people dropped out. Some just went to land on the ground, they in particular looked terrified while a few others got hit by Bludgers and while some rejoined the fliers, others just stayed down.

Scorpius wasn't paying them too much mind, he was too busy flying but he was enjoying himself, it was more challenging than either of the classes had been and he got kind of a thrilling rush from dodging the speeding balls. The _Dart_ was impressive, its handling was so perfect that Scorpius almost felt the broom was a part of him, he could move more fluidly than he had with the school brooms. And the speed! He could go faster than he'd ever gone on a school broom and still the broom felt itching to do more, the cold was forgotten as he glided through the air.

He was disappointed when Cole called them all to a halt, looking around Scorpius saw that he was the youngest left still in the air and that Molly, Freddie and James were all still there. He was glad for Molly and Freddie but a small part of him had hoped that James would've dropped out, anything to wipe that smug smile of his face or at least so that he couldn't taunt Scorpius about his flying. Cole had them land once more and asked each to say what position they wanted, the majority seemed to want Chaser, which Scorpius supposed was because their were more of those positions open and more Chaser positions on a team anyway.

Cole seemed to start with the Chasers for this reason, he had them practice passing to each other first as well as to the non-Chasers just to give them more variety of people to practice with. Scorpius was really glad he wasn't trying to be a chaser, he may not be a bad flier but he found the chunky Quaffle awkward to handle while on his broom, he wasn't too bad at throwing it to the others but catching it was more difficult, especially when Cole had them do so in motion. Next they had to try score it through the hoops, Scorpius was thankful that he didn't have to do that and could just take a short breather and watch them from the sky, Cole forbade them from landing again to test their stamina apparently.

Cole left them to do that for awhile, while he moved onto the Beaters and had them practice with the club as he made the Bludgers go after them. He also had the other non-Chasers do so for reasons that were lost on Scorpius, he really didn't enjoy that part very much. The Bludgers were heavier than he'd thought and swinging the bat to hit them required more force than he'd thought, the first time the bat was knocked from his hand and James, along with a few others screeched with laughter, made even worse by the fact that James had an impressive swing although Freddie - who was going for Beater - was easily the best out of all them, even than the older boys who tried out. The other times Scorpius did manage to hit the Bludgers harder but the force left his poor arm feeling like it had been ripped out of the socket.

Next up was the Keepers, Cole annoyingly seemed to be doing the Seekers last. Cole had the people trying out as Keeper take it in turns to guard the rings from the Chasers who were practicing scoring still, half trying one end and half trying the other and also had the non-Chasers and non-Keepers try score as well. Scorpius had been worried about Molly until he saw her play, for quite a petite girl she could certainly hold her own in the air. There was no competition at all for Keeper, Molly was that good, her reflexes seemed to make up for her size and even the Chasers who'd been doing well struggled to score against her. In fact none of them scored against her.

Scorpius thought Cole was finally going to move on to testing the Seekers but instead he announced that they would be doing a practice match, not quite a practice match as there would be no Seekers and an excess number of players. There were three trying out for Keeper, he had two defend one goal and appointed him to be Molly's second Keeper. The Chasers he divided in half and had the third person trying out for Seeker go with them to make up them an even number, while he used James to make up the numbers for the Beaters before having them practice. Molly just told him the smallest ring and she'd take care of the other two, Scorpius nodded obediently and did his best.

The sky was a flurry of activity as the swarm of Chasers and Beaters, the extra people seemed to just make it all the more chaotic and Scorpius kept forgetting which ones were on his side as he just tried to defend his goal, he had no idea what the score was either but he thought his side were winning. He made a better Keeper than he had a Chaser or Beater, it wasn't too difficult just the one ring although he didn't find it very enjoyable having the Quaffle shot at him constantly, he felt rather battered and breathless by the time Cole called them to a halt but at least he was trying. He told them that the game would continue but he was releasing the snitch and the three Seekers had no teams, they just had to catch it. He picked two of the Chasers to take over Scorpius and James' positions and announced he'd be making the numbers with the Chasers - Chaser being Cole's position in the game - after he released the Snitch. This was it.

He watched the winged golden ball fly away and tried not to panic, Cole told them to wait until he told them to go after it, to give it a chance to get away. The trio just hovered in the center of the chaos, James looked as smug as ever and the third person was an older girl who just looked exhausted.

"You're going to fail Malfoy," James sneered still smirking, "you suck at pretty much everything else, you're an idiot to even try out. I've got this, its in my blood while nothing but failure, foolishness and evil runs in your blood. I'm glad you're grandfather's here to see you fail, your family should know how much of a failure you are."

"I don't care that I'll fail, I've had fun," Scorpius told him with a genuine smile, he was in the air and James' insults couldn't touch him, he'd tried his best and thrown himself into everything, his broom was amazing to fly and... and he was okay. He was worried about Calderon still, his limbs were tired and his body was battered but he was okay. He felt like a weight was lifted off his shoulders and he sat up straight, James just looked bewildered before Cole yelled for them that they could go.

The three of them shot off in different directions immediately, Scorpius just flew higher into the air, so high he could see the whole game and just hovered above the makeshift match while the other two darted around searching. He looked beyond the players, the Bludgers, the chaos and the Quaffle, zoned out the noise of it, after all he was pretty sure they'd been out there for hours and his mind had become accustomed to it. He let it all fade out, none of that was what he was looking for. He was looking the the Snitch, the Golden Snitch. He was looking for something small, a small flash of gold. He scanned it all, wondering if maybe he should be closer the way that the other two were-

And then he saw it. Just a glint, like the shine of a coin when the sun touched it but somehow he knew it was what he was looking for, gold flashes didn't move after all. He ushered his broom into action and dived for it, noticing out of the corner of his eye that James had noticed it too or possibly had just noticed him going for it. Either way, he sensed rather than saw the boy speeding towards him but he was faster, he was _better_. He reached out his hand, forcing his broom to go faster than it had been before, it sang at his touch and as he got closer the flash become a golden ball. He snatched it out of the air and pulled the broom back up as James hurtled past in the space where the Snitch had just been, Scorpius couldn't believe it. He clutched the tiny ball ever tighter in his hand as if to reassure himself that it was indeed there, drifting lazily on his broom as he gazed at it. He had caught the Snitch.

"Everyone stop! The Snitch has been caught!" Cole called and activity skirting on the edges of his vision stopped as they all started landing on the ground, Scorpius still didn't tear his eyes from the ball as its little wings stopped fluttering. He landed one handed, barely even noticing as his shaking legs touched solid ground once more and rain started pouring from the sky, "Malfoy caught the Snitch."

"HE CHEATED!" James' voice screeched abruptly and Scorpius flickered his gaze to the angry Gryffindor stalking over to him, "he cheated! He can't be the Seeker! He's just a first year! And a Malfoy! I'm supposed to be the Seeker! He cheated! He cheated!"

"How exactly did he cheat?"

"His... His broom! Its a faster model than mine! I would have caught it if not for him cheating with that broom, he's a cheater. I demand we do it again."

"Blaming brooms, really?" one of the crowd muttered but James looked beside himself.

"But its true!"

"Well a rematch won't even help if he has the same broom."

"Give us school brooms," Scorpius offered, he really didn't like being accused of cheating, "then we're on even ground."

"It's raining," James snapped as the rain pelted down, "he's a first year and a cheater, just disqualify him."

"I'll give you one chance, Potter but only one," Cole commented and James glowered with fury, "someone grab some school brooms, only you don't be catching the snitch. I'll fly up and throw a Sickle into this weather, whoever catches it before it reaches the ground gets to be the new Seeker."

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_**Thanks to: **Aya Diefair, Lucifersdaughter and Diddleymaz for reviewing!_


	32. I: Pride and Prejudice

_**Author's Note: **Sorry for not posing this yesterday, my laptop was being uncooperative and not working but think its okay now so here you go_

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The rain was really pouring heavily, it was difficult to see through it even on the ground, Scorpius heard the crackling of thunder from the darkening sky and a few people looked nervous. By the time Scorpius was handed one of the school brooms his skin was soaked through, he was too numb to feel the cold though. He didn't like giving up the Snitch though, the last lingering longing for his childish dream didn't want him to and Molly almost seemed to pry it out of his numb fingers. After she did, he felt oddly detached and depressed. _  
_

"I'm out," the girl would-be Seeker announced shaking her head as when Freddie tried to hand her a broom, "this is stupid, Malfoy already won."

"He only won because he cheated," James sneered angrily, "you're going to lose now, Malfoy, everyone will see you for the worthless cheat you are."

"Be civil," Cole snapped and got out one Silver-Sickle, "both of you go to opposing ends of the field before the rings and wait there on your brooms, hover just before the tallest ring and don't move until I throw it."

Scorpius just nodded and started his walk to the opposite end of the pitch to James, it took him a moment to realize that some of the others were walking with him and muttering their support while the rest went after James or headed towards to the stands. He was surprised by this, Gryffindor hadn't exactly given him a warm welcome after all but apparently their desire to have the best Seeker possible to win and James' bogus claims on brooms outweighed his parentage. At least to the ones who followed him. Despite James being her cousin, Molly never left his side until he was mounting his broom and then they all backed off out of his way.

He hovered there easily, gazing across as the distant figure of James opposite him through the haze of rain. He gripped his broom tighter, a part of him was worried but another part of his mind wasn't the slightest bit interested. He'd already proved himself after all, he'd already caught Snitch, already done it and James' claims that the broom made a difference was ridiculous and desperate, if they were any other two students then he had a feeling that Cole wouldn't be doing this at all.

He turned his attention back to Cole, the Captain was in the air half way between the two of them but over by the stands. The sky growled in disapproval and lightening cracked the sky as Cole's arm whipped back and the Sickle was flung into the storm, it almost seemed to be in slow-motion as the arm moved and the palm opened, barely visible through the furious rain.

Scorpius was moving before he realized it, not taking his eyes away from flicker of silver between the rain drops as it arched beautifully and started to descend. The broom vibrated in protest but he didn't care as he sped towards it, he didn't even blink in case he lost sight of it as it fell. It was almost on the ground by the time he reached but he plucked it from the air easily, he practically stumbled off his broom as he was so close to the Earth and a few moments later James was landing beside him.

"You cheated, I know you cheated!" James shrieked at him, "I wasn't ready, its raining too hard, that wasn't fair! We have to do it again."

"We both know that I didn't cheat," Scorpius said plainly, he wasn't worried anymore. James hadn't had a clue where the coin was until Scorpius caught it, he knew he was better than James at this, James may be good on a broom but Scorpius was too and more observant, "insult me all you want, use all the excuses you want but we could this all day and I'll beat you every single time."

"You... but... I," James stammered and Scorpius saw tears in the older boy's brown eyes, "do you know long I waited for this day? The day I would become a Seeker like my parents, do you know how badly I've wanted to do that? I've wanted that for as far back as I can remember, its my dream. Do you have any idea what that's like?"

"I have an idea."

"Well I hope you're happy, Malfoy, because you just destroyed my dream."

James' voice caught as he spoke, the tears becoming lost in the rain and Scorpius looked down at the silver coin in his palm, the scar on his wrist was just visible from under his sleeve. He didn't feel happy, he felt numb. He tried to imagine how he would have felt if he'd never been abducted, it was surprisingly easier to imagine himself like he'd been before, when he'd been 'normal' like his family wished he was again. That person would be happy, that person would be smiling and delighted that he was one step closer to his dream. But he wasn't that person anymore, he _had_ been abducted and Marvin had already destroyed his dreams.

"Take it," Scorpius whispered, offering out his hand with the coin for James who blinked in shock, "be the Seeker if you want, if its your dream because its not mine anymore. It's enough knowing that I _could_ have been a Seeker, that in another life I could've been good."

"What? You think you can offer me a stupid coin and I'll suddenly like you?"

"No, I hate you and I don't give a damn what you think about me. But I'm not cruel, you can have it if it means that much to you, if you want it then take it."

It was only after he spoke that Scorpius noticed the crowd that had assembled around them, everyone who'd tried out was gathered around along with the people who'd been watching from the stands. Some people started calling out in protest about him letting James 'guilt' him into giving up while others urged James to take it because clearly Scorpius couldn't hack it. James just stared at the coin, his hand twitched and for a moment Scorpius thought that he would take it. He didn't though. His expression hardened and he angrily knocked Scorpius' hand away, pushing him back as he did so with enough force to knock Scorpius to the muddy ground.

"Take your Snitch and go to hell, I hate you," James spat before storming away.

"Eugh, how rude," Lucius' voice complained as Professor Ashain helped him to his feet, "then again, what do you expect from a blood-traitor? Pathetic excuse for a wizard if you ask me."

"We don't call people that in school," Professor Ashain pointed out tiredly.

"Are you done here?" Lucius asked, turning abruptly on Cole who stammered awkwardly in reply.

"Err... Basically yeah bu-"

"Excellent, we can get inside out of this rain and cold. Come, Scorpius and You, grab his broom."

"I'm not-"

The professor's protest was cut off as Lucius was walking away briskly and taking Scorpius with him, he tried to awkwardly wave his bye to the other players as he was hurriedly led away. He had wanted to stay and hear who'd made the team but apparently his grandfather didn't care who else made the team, or possibly just wanted to get out of the bad weather. Lucius didn't let go of him until they were back inside the castle, Professor Ashain on their heel again as he carried the _Dart_ broom.

"Well done, Scorpius," Lucius congratulated him sounding genuinely proud, "first years almost never make the teams but I'm not surprised that you did. You were easily the best player there, Gryffindor really doesn't have a lot of talent."

"I thought some of them were good," Scorpius offered awkwardly, he may not like Gryffindors very much but that didn't mean all of the players were terrible. Lucius seemed to just decide to ignore that.

"Shame about the weather though, freezing and wet are not the most pleasant conditions."

"Shame you upset Calderon, he can like... suck the water off you," Professor Ashain commented and motioned with his hand, presumably the way Calderon did it and Scorpius was reminded of his worry over the assistant, "just like that."

"Why can't you do that?"

"I don't know how he does it, he just always is doing stuff."

"Figures, you're just useless," Lucius announced and started walking again with Scorpius by his side, Professor Ashain remained back behind them, carrying the broom and muttering under his breath.

"He's not useless," Scorpius said defensively, "he's a good person and he's my favorite teacher."

"Merlin's... Scorpius, we really need to have a talk about the kind of people that you're supposed to be around," Lucius informed him and glanced back at the professor before lowering his voice, "he's a disgrace, his father had him and his brother by two different women while still in Hogwarts! His mother was a blood-traitor, she was killed for trying to save mudbloods from Death Eaters. He's a former Auror himself, he caused an explosion that killed no less than _seven_ Death Eaters and won an award for that, would you believe? Some of those were friends of mine. And then there's his brother... Brutus was a Death Eater before and now... I don't know if Ashain is involved or it just happened without him knowing but you can't trust him."

"What?" Scorpius wondered with a scowl, he'd been following for awhile but his grandfather had lost him at the end. Lucius just shook his head and looked oddly worried.

"It doesn't matter... but just trust me, try stay away from him or at least not be so friendly to him."

Scorpius rolled his eyes irritably, he liked Professor Ashain and the man had been put on probation just for defending him with Varanian. If he there was anyone he shouldn't trust then it was his grandfather, Lucius had tortured Calderon after all and he really hoped that it wouldn't ruin his relationship with the assistant, although he couldn't blame Calderon if it did. His grandfather talked a bit as they walked, telling him about what happened in his absence, which happened to be not much. They came to a halt at the gargoyle that guarded the entrance to Varanian's office, Lucius' eyes widened slightly.

"Ah, it appears I don't know the password. If you would give it to the statue, Ashain."

"I don't know it," Professor Ashain pointed out and Lucius shot him a dark look.

"Ethel," Scorpius spoke and the gargoyle obediently moved aside, both men looked at him in surprise, "he took me here after the Charms incident. It was his wife's name."

"He has a wife?" Professor Ashain exclaimed as they started to go up, "that poor woman."

"She's dead."

"Oh."

"Death Eater's killed his family."

"That might explain his behavior a bit."

"Did you kill her?" Scorpius asked of his grandfather, Lucius' eyes bulged in shock.

"Of course I didn't!"

"Would you even remember it if you did?"

"Yes!" Lucius burst out while Professor Ashain started looking around the office in amazement, "what kind of person do you think I am?!"

"Not a good one, you tortured Calderon."

"Would you just get over that?!"

"Some things you don't just get over, they change you forever," Scorpius said quietly as he thought of the muggles again, "how could you do that to someone? How can you not feel bad?"

"I did what I was told, I did what was necessary and it doesn't mean I enjoyed everything I had to do. I still don't remember what that man was talking about but I'm sure I had a good reason, assuming he isn't mistaken."

"You could just say 'I'm sorry' like a decent person would," Scorpius pointed out looking away from Lucius but he heard the man sigh.

"I'm sorry. Are you happy now?"

"You need to apologize to him not me."

"Scorpius please, you literally wouldn't believe how bad my day was before I came here so could you try to cut me some slack," Lucius told him as Scorpius looked back to him, Lucius looked unusually anxious, "I know that you're not particularly happy with me right now but... I... There's some things going on right now that you wouldn't understand and I don't know... You never know when the end is near... Life's too short."

"What are you talking about?" Scorpius wondered and saw a strangely vulnerable expression on his grandfather's face.

"I know we don't have the best relationship and maybe that's partially my fault, we don't always see eye to eye about things because I wish you would believe the right things that I believe but I know I'm not perfect and perhaps its good you're smart enough to form your own opinions on things... maybe in time you'll just realize that I'm right because, I just want what's best for you," Lucius continued awkwardly and unusually emotionally, "but you know I always admired your strength, you're a strong person and not even those bastard muggles could take that away from you, Scorpius."

"Is something wrong?"

"I just... I don't know how long I have left, I'm... I'm getting older after all and I just... I want you to know... I want you to know that... I love you," Lucius said and his voice broke on the last as he pulled Scorpius into a hug, "I love you so much, and don't you dare doubt that, no matter what else you think of me. My family is more important to me than anything, no matter what happens and you, Draco and Narcissa mean everything to me. You're the best things in my life and I'd do anything for you and... and I just want you to remember that, no matter happens, I love you."

Scorpius wasn't sure what to say, if he didn't know any better then he'd say his grandfather sounded like he was on the verge of tears. He was tempted to say that he loved him too but he was still angry at him for torturing Calderon, Lucius had never said any of that to him before though so it seemed rude to turn round and say that to him. He decided to just stand there silently, let his grandfather hug him and stroke his hair like he was doing. Scorpius was slightly worried about what was prompting Lucius' behavior, was he going senile? Was there something wrong? Did he know something that Scorpius didn't? Was Lucius dying? Was he dying?

"Aren't you going to say something?"

"I don't know what to say," Scorpius pointed out as his grandfather pulled away, his composure regained.

"You could say goodbye," Lucius offered before turning to Professor Ashain who was standing awkwardly as far away from them as he could while still being in the room, "make yourself useful and pass me my cloak."

"You mean this cloak?" Professor Ashain started to say as moved closer and he reached for a cloak that had been tossed aside but paused to shudder violently before his fingers touched it, he frowned slightly before handing to Lucius' awaiting hand, "why didn't you wear it if you knew you would be sitting outside in the stands in the cold?"

"Because I didn't want to, okay?" Lucius growled snatching it from him as he moved over to the fireplace, "there's barely enough Floo powder here for me to get home."

"At least you can go home."

"What was that?"

"Varanian's very strict on the usage of Floo powder at the moment, be glad you have any."

"Alright. Goodbye, Scorpius, I'm sure you'll do great."

"Bye," Scorpius said as his grandfather departed, he heard Professor Ashain sigh with relief, "I'm sorry if he offended you or was being mean to you."

"Well yeah he kinda did but it's okay, its not like my day could really get any worse. I miss my family. And its not your fault or anything, your grandfather gives me the creeps like Varanian does anyway," the professor sighed again and started heading towards him, "come on, I don't think Varanian would like us hanging out in his creepy office."

"What's creepy about it?" Varanian asked and the both of them nearly jumped out of their skin in shock as the headmaster came into the room, his hair currently black and his expression angry.

"The pictures. All facing the wall. When Dumbledore had this office they were all... you know facing outwards like pictures are and there was a shelf with the Sorting Hat."

"Well I'm not Dumbledore, am I?"

"No, you most definitely are not."

"Was that an insult?"

"No, not at all. We'll just... go now."

"Why are you in my office anyway?" Varanian demanded and stepped in front of them as Scorpius tried to folllow the professor to the door, the last thing he wanted was for either of them to be in even more trouble with the headmaster. He also mentally kicked himself for letting Lucius leave without the letter Rose had wrote to her parents to inform them about Varanian's torture.

"Seeing my grandfather off," Scorpius answered and the silvery eyes shifted to him disapprovingly.

"I figured but why? And where is Marius? I told him not to let that Death Eater out of his sight."

"There was an emergency," Professor Ashain invented before Scorpius could tell the same lie, he didn't want Calderon to be in trouble either and Varanian looked even less pleased than usual, "so he went off to deal with it and told me to watch Malfoy instead."

"You're lying," Varanian snarled as his hair turned crimson, "he just got upset about what the Death Eater did to him and ran off like a coward."

"Hey!" Scorpius snapped defensively, "he's not a coward, my grandfather tortured him and he had every right to be upset."

"Ah so again you just confirmed my suspicions," Varanian pointed out and Scorpius mentally kicked himself again.

"So what if it does?" Professor Ashain spoke up sound angry, "you're the one at fault. Being tortured is a hard enough thing to go through as an adult, let alone as a child and you seem perfectly aware that Calderon went through that and you deliberately made him face his tormentor when he clearly wasn't ready. What kind of person does that? That's practically torture itself, you're no better than the Death Eaters."

A flicker of fury crossed Varanian's eyes as he drew his wand, Scorpius was sure he would have used it if Professor Ashain hadn't been so quick to draw his own wand with impressive reflexes. Varanian seemed to notice this too, he seemed to debate for a moment whether it was worth attacking his Ex-Auror employee, Professor Ashain looked incredibly nervous but his wand arm didn't waver. Varanian visibly seemed to force himself to reign in his temper and slowly, ever so slowly, he lowered his wand and the professor reluctantly did the same.

"Get the hell out of my office, both of you," Varanian snapped and neither of them needed telling twice.

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_**Thanks to: **Diddleymaz, Luc16 and Lucifersdaughter for reviewing!_


	33. I: Branded

Lucius arrived back home and sighed heavily, suddenly feeling very cold and alone. Draco and Astoria had gone to have lunch with Astoria's sister but they were always there for longer, Narcissa had gone to Diagon Alley to find some gift for Scorpius as she thought he could use some present to cheer him up when he didn't make the team but when she went shopping she was always gone for longer and always came back with more than she'd gone out for. It did seem slightly pointless considering Scorpius had actually got the position although she would probably just turn it into a congratulation package.

Lucius had been rather impressed by his grandson's flying and couldn't help but feel more than a little proud that Scorpius had not only got Seeker but had beaten the Potter boy to do it. Although he didn't think much of the Gryffindor Captain for indulging Potter's claims of Scorpius cheating, blaming the broom was the most ridiculous childish excuse for failure that there was and everyone knew that. He wished that Scorpius hadn't been mad at him though, trust a crazy person he honestly didn't remember to turn Scorpius against him.

He was concerned about his grandson though, he'd brushed off Draco's concerns about the possibility of people giving Scorpius a hard time but he had had the mark on his cheek. Being in Hogwarts for only seventeen days and already being physically injured didn't say much for the school, he was glad that Scorpius was doing well in his subjects and was clearly a powerful wizard but not being miserable was important too. He hadn't mentioned any friends to him either, which meant that either he had made friends with the wrong sort of people or that he hadn't made any friends at all. As he walked to his study he couldn't decide which was worse. Scorpius' defense of Ashain worried him too, he had no way of knowing whether Ashain was involved with 'the master' like his supposedly dead brother or not but the last thing he wanted was Scorpius mixed up with those people too.

"I see you're back," Brutus said and Lucius jumped as he entered his study, seeing Brutus sitting in _his_ chair at _his_ desk and casually and casually drinking _his_ Superior Red wine.

"Well help yourself, why don't you," Lucius snapped irritably but Brutus only grinned and downed the last of his glass, immediately wiping his crooked mouth with his sleeve and refilling it.

"Well I had to do something while I was waiting for you to come back," Brutus pointed out as he shoved the glass towards Lucius, "have some, you'll need it."

"Can't help that the tryout took so long and why are you waiting anyway? Aren't I done for the day? Did it work?" Lucius questioned as he walked over to his own desk, "and how long do I have anyway? I want to know how long before you take my soul."

"One question at a time, Lucius, you're not quite done for the day and I have to take the cloak back anyway. The Specter was banished so no, it didn't work but the master still thought your visit was quite enlightening. And as to how long you have left... it really depends on how useful you prove to be to the master. So there, now drink your poison."

"Drink my poison," Lucius muttered as he sighed and hesitantly picked up the glass, Brutus instead took a swig from the bottle, "eugh, didn't your mother teach you manners?"

"Never met the bitch, took one look at me and dumped me on my dad," Brutus growled before he grabbed a small bubbling cauldron that he apparently had had on the floor behind the desk and placing it on top, "seriously, drink up. I have a high tolerance for pain so believe me when I say that this hurts like hell."

"What... What do you intend to do to me?" Lucius wondered worriedly as Brutus stood up and walked around the desk to him, rolling up his sleeve as he did so.

"This," Brutus said simply and showed him the inside of his forearm, where his Dark Mark had used to be. Only there was new mark there now, a skeletal snake twisted across the thick arm with the head in the center, sticking out its forked tongue. It didn't look like a tattoo either, it looked like a brand, like it had been burned into the skin. Lucius blinked in shock, he was sure the forked tongue had just flickered at him, "the master dislikes those of us with Dark Mark scars to have them, the master fashioned a new symbol for us to bear in its place, the symbol for the master's organization, the symbol for the Soul Eaters."

"Very creative name," Lucius commented sarcastically and Brutus growled in disapproval as he pulled his sleeve back down.

"The master thinks so, the Specters do sort of eat souls after all and the Dark Lord took lives not souls. Besides, the Ministry is currently calling us the Shadows which is also a rather apt choice, the master is ever so fond of the title of Shadow Master. One day the world will know our true name and tremble in fear at the mere mention of us, the way they do when someone so much as whispers the name Voldemort," Brutus told him and Lucius couldn't resist shivering at hearing the name of his former master, he regretted it as it seemed to prove Brutus' point who grinned, "so drink up. Or don't if you want to suffer more or refuse and the Specter will destroy you."

"But I'm not one of you! I don't even want to be one of you! You're just making me do stuff because I gave up my soul. I just wanted my grandson to live and would like to hold onto my soul for as long as possible, it doesn't mean I want to be a... Soul Eater as you say you call yourselves."

"The master wishes you branded, regardless of your willingness."

"Fine," Lucius muttered and eyed the liquid before starting to drink it while Brutus folded his arms and waited, Lucius drank as quickly as he dared drink fine wine. He just wanted it over and done with, to get out of his damp clothes and not have to look at Brutus' ugly face for another second, "done."

"Good," Brutus grunted and motioned for him to sit on the couch, Lucius reluctantly did so and rolled up his sleeve as Brutus took out his wand, "you ready?"

"Just do it," Lucius snapped as he wondered what the potion was for if Brutus was going to use his wand.

Brutus roughly grabbed Lucius' wrist in a vice-like grip with his non-wand hand and aimed his wand at the scarred forearm with his other, Brutus seemed to hesitate slightly before muttering a spell. Immediately a crimson light burst from his wand and into Lucius' arm.

He hadn't been kidding about the pain. He felt like his arm was on fire and tried to pull it away but Brutus held him tight, keeping his wand over Lucius' arm and moving it as if tracing a pattern, with every movement Lucius was hit by another wave of pain. He bit his tongue to stop himself from screaming, he promised himself that he wasn't going to give any of the satisfaction of hearing him scream.

Abruptly Brutus let go but the pain only intensified, he felt like like someone had plunged a knife into his arm, a red hot knife that tore through the flesh. And the smell was sickening. It was the smell of burning flesh, he realized, he could smell his own skin burning. Lucius broke his promise and screamed. He screamed, closing his eyes against the pain and clutched at the arm with his other hand, it didn't diminish the pain. Not even slightly. He screamed again.

"This'll help," Brutus said and a second later he felt some damp fabric pressed against his arm, Lucius was about to scream that he was useless when he realized that it was helping.

Lucius opened his eyes and saw Brutus kneeling to run the cloth gently up and down his forearm, the cauldron had been brought over beside him and Brutus paused only to dip it in to the potion that Lucius assumed was what was helping before continuing. The pain was diminished but still there, his arm felt numbed though and the pain dulled the more Brutus carried on. After a few minutes he stopped and Lucius got a look at his arm for the first time, it looked almost identical to Brutus' except his was more livid and the skin around it looked dark like shadow.

"Why is my arm...?"

"The Specter is drawn to your pain, they're born from suffering," Brutus told him and Lucius reached a new level of horrified, he couldn't take his eyes from the shadow around the brand, "it'll go back to being dormant when the pain recedes enough for it to lose interest."

"Oh great, well how do I explain this to my wife? Did you or your brilliant master think of that?"

"Obviously," Brutus grunted, dipping the cloth into the potion once more before bandaging Lucius' forearm with it, "just say that you injured your arm and leave the bandage on it, dip it in the potion and re-wrap it every time it dries out so it'll continue to help with the pain. Or just suffer if you prefer. Welcome to the Soul-Eaters. We'll be in touch."

"Couldn't you be more specific of how long before..." Lucius started to ask but Brutus had already stepped into the shadows and vanished, "nevermind then."

* * *

Scorpius was relieved to be out of Varanian's office without either of them being hurt, or expelled, or fired, or killed. He had actually thought that Varanian had been going to attack Professor Ashain for a moment, even though he'd had his wand out. He supposed Varanian must have decided to think better of it and possibly doubted he could best the former Auror in a duel, even if he could beat Professor Ashain then it would still be harder to keep him quiet about his habit of attacking his own staff, children were easier to control.

"Where are we going?" Professor Ashain asked after a few minutes of walking, he still looked anxious and was thumbing the handle of his wand nervously. Scorpius liked the professor's wand, it was the only one he'd seen with a crystal at the end of the handle, it made his seem very bland in comparison.

"I don't know, I was following you," Scorpius admitted, he'd just been lost in his thoughts and blindly following but it dawned on him that the professor must have been too.

"Ah well I wasn't really thinking... I really thought Varanian was going to attack me then, he is mad or what? I had all the defensive spells I know running through my mind ready and was already planning the best way to get you to safety and neutralize the threat. Mad-Eye really ingrains that Auror stuff into your mind, eh?"

"I guess so," Scorpius said awkwardly, not really knowing who 'Mad-Eye' was but the professor didn't continue as they both looked around the deserted corridor and tried to get his bearings, "I think I've passed through here with Calderon before, these are mostly spare unused classrooms that are used for storage or just nothing."

"I think this is the corridor that Varanian told us was off-limits, we shouldn't really be here."

Scorpius nodded vaguely before they passed a door with a sign on it, a sign reading 'KEEP OUT' in huge thick black letters. He stopped walking to look at it, he remembered passing it before with Calderon as the corridor was almost like a short cut, the lack of people meant not having to fight through a crowd to get by. He'd queried it and Calderon had told him that Varanian kept some stuff in there that he'd rather not have disturbed, he'd been busy at the time but now he was curious.

"Come on, Scorpius," Professor Ashain prompted, realizing Scorpius had stopped and went back over to him. The professor shuddered as he stood beside the door, "what is wrong with me today? Best keep out like it says, don't have a good feeling about it."

"Calderon said that Varanian kept some stuff in here that he didn't want anyone to know about, aren't you curious as to what?"

"No. Well possibly yes but its none of our business so leave it alone now."

"What if it's something dangerous? Or illegal? Or both?" Scorpius wondered as he tugged at the handle but it didn't budge, "oh, nevermind its locked."

"Oh please, _alohomora_," Professor Ashain muttered as he aimed his wand at the lock, that clicked as if unlocked and the door creaked as it opened a touch, the professor looked nervous, "pretend that you never heard that spell. Seriously, I know how good you are with spells and it could be used irresponsibly. Not that I think you're irresponsible, its the spell and if anything I'm the irresponsible one for using it in front of you but I wouldn't if you were not you because I trust you but its not really important. I just ramble sometimes, I shouldn't though, its no wonder people think that I'm boring. Anyway, I'm just going to make sure there's nothing dangerous or illegal in here, since Varanian's... well you know. Stay here."

With that Professor Ashain handed him the broom that he'd still been carrying and went inside the room, Scorpius tried to wait patiently like he'd been told but every second made him worry more. What if it was something dangerous and the professor was hurt? What if Varanian found out and fired Professor Ashain? He hadn't really thought it through, then again, he hadn't really expected the professor to go in, he'd just been venting his curiosity. He pushed open the door and saw the professor was very much alive, studying the object in the room.

"Didn't I tell you to stay?" the professor complained half-heartedly.

Scorpius wasn't listening though, he was transfixed by the object. It looked like the same stone material that the blood rune discs were made of, only it wasn't a disk but an obelisk, it was about the width of a person and about a head taller than Professor Ashain. What really drew his focus were the runes on it, carved deeply into the stone and going all the way down the sides in single file.

He walked over to the professor and saw from the back one of the sides wasn't completely covered, attached to it was a pedestal with steps leading up to it, all of which was also of the same stone and engraved with runes. Professor Ashain was standing by the pedestal and running his free hand across the runes, Scorpius did the same before he walked up the steps to the pedestal. He swallowed nervously with he saw what was on top of it, there seemed to be different shaped hand imprints in the stone and in the center of it all was the same arrow rune that was on the discs. It was raised though and so sharp that at first Scorpius thought it was a blade, in truth it was just some strange black stone that had somehow been made sharp.

"Don't touch it," Professor Ashain warned and Scorpius realized the man was now by his side, "wouldn't want to accidentally activate it."

"This is to do with those blood runes that I asked you about... isn't it?"

"Yes, that arrow means 'sacrifice.' In this context anyway. All the other ones are related to protection, safety as well as strength and power... destruction. I think that..." the professor told him as he ran his fingers across the hand prints, "that every time someone activates it their hand print is imprinted into the stone, that symbol Tiwaz is branded into their hand and their blood is taken to fill all the runes. I don't think you'd survive that, its too much blood to lose."

"Do you think Varanian would really use that?" Scorpius wondered worriedly.

"No, he couldn't use it even if he wanted to. There's supposed to be three parts and this is only one, you need err... wards to mark the area the magic extends to and something that binds the spellmaster's soul to it, an orb and as far as I know Varanian has neither of those, its rare enough to find an intact obelisk let alone a ward and an orb. Besides he wouldn't use it, he'd need to some to die to activate it and who would willingly do that? Sacrifice is a powerful thing but it requires willingness. He couldn't do it himself because he'd be dead, the spellmaster needs to be alive for the magic to work. He'd be an idiot to use it anyway."

"Why?"

"Because Hogwarts is already magically protected! This magic would destroy that protection to replace it with its own and like I said, that's corruptible if the spellmaster is. Besides its not permanent," Professor Ashain explained moving his hands away from it and shivered again, "I'm more curious how he got his hands on it, like I said before its rare and ancient. My family is incredibly wealthy and my grandfather is a collector of magical artifacts like this, it was all he ever cared about but he could never get his hands on an intact obelisk or a ward although he did manage to obtain an orb, one of his proudest possessions. I'm not surprised Varanian doesn't want anyone to find this, its nothing sinister motive, its a fear of it being stolen. This is worth something between extremely valuable and priceless."

"I don't like it," Scorpius stated, he thought it was creepy even without knowing that people had died using it, died standing on the very steps he was then. He shivered.

"Now you're shivering too, best we get out of here and out of these wet clothes before we catch our deaths," Professor Ashain said as he ushered him away from the obelisk and out of the room, closing and locking the door magically behind them, "best pretend that we were never there, alright?"

"Alright," Scorpius agreed, wondering if telling his allies about it would be alright or not.

"Good," the professor said with relief as they headed back to the more common areas of the castle, "just go back to your common room, don't worry about the lines."

"Thanks. See you tomorrow, Professor."

"Yes. Sure. Tomorrow. Of course. Bye Scorpius," Professor Ashain offered as they parted ways.

Scorpius considered heading back to the common room, he did want to get out of his wet things and it would be good to put down his broom because he was getting some funny looks. His legs were already walking to go check on Calderon first though before he could think of things logically, he pushed everything else out of his mind for the time being. It wasn't a long walk before he was knocking on Calderon's door. There was no answer.

"Calderon? It's me," Scorpius called out nervously, if Calderon wasn't there then he had no idea where he'd he be, "Scorpius."

"I'm busy, Scor. Come back tomorrow," Calderon's reply came back tiredly from inside his room.

"Are you okay? I was worried about you... Lucius is gone now, you know."

"I'm fine."

"You don't sound fine," Scorpius pointed out and he heard Calderon sigh before the door opened, Calderon forced a smile that didn't touch the pain in eyes and leaned in the doorway. He looked like he'd been crying.

"I'm fine, see?"

"I'm sorry," Scorpius said guiltily, "you know about my grandfather, I-"

"Don't apologize," Calderon interrupted losing his smile but gestured for him to come inside his room after him, "you have nothing to apologize for."

Scorpius blinked in shock, it looked like a bomb had quite literally gone off. The bed was as neatly made as ever but everywhere else was covered in bits of paper, wood, shards of ceramic, glass, even lumps of candle wax. The floating shelves and candles were gone, the ball of light remained but it was so dim now that it was hard to make out anything. Even the walls showed signs of abuse, they had vicious spidery cracks running up and down the gray bricks. The only thing aside from the bed and the trunks beneath it that didn't looked in pieces was a picture from a newspaper clipping on the wall, Scorpius had never seen it there before but he recognized the woman it: Bellatrix Lestrange, his grandmother's elder sister.

"I... I'm sorry anyway," Scorpius offered awkwardly, feeling worse than ever, "I didn't know he..."

"Not many do," Calderon answered, leaning against the wall behind him, "and really don't apologize, you're not responsible for any of your family's actions."

"I still feel bad."

"Don't feel bad, I don't hold you responsible, I never did," Calderon pointed out but seemed to notice Scorpius' melancholy expression because he sighed, "look I'm going to tell you something about my past, you need to promise that you won't feel bad anymore."

"Erm... I'll try," Scorpius muttered anxiously as Calderon rolled up his sleeve and showed him his forearm, Scorpius was surprised to see it was badly scarred like from a burn, "I don't understand... did my grandfather do that to you to?"

"No, I did that to myself. Look closer," Calderon told him and waved the fingers on his other hand over the wound, Scorpius scowled in confusion before the lines of the scar became more livid forming an image of a skull with a snake... it was the Dark Mark.

"You... You were a Death Eater?!" Scorpius exclaimed in panic but Calderon looked offended and vigorously shook his head as he pulled his sleeve back down.

"But my parents were Death Eaters, Scor. My mother was seriously fanatical and when I was thirteen she grabbed a knife and... she carved His Mark into my skin, as incentive so I would know what I would become but I burned it off and forsook her plans because I don't want any of it. Quite frankly I never saw the point, blood-purity, power and for what? It's just pain and suffering and death and that's nothing good there. The good things are what matter, what are worthwhile," Calderon said and subconsciously seemed to rub his arm, "I told you once before that we're more than the blood we carry, you always have a choice and I choose to be different. My parents were... they did really evil things too... tortured and killed and maimed and destroyed and... all that bad stuff. I can't change what they did - no matter how much I wish i could - anymore than you can change what your grandfather did to me. At least you can take solace in the fact that he did turn on his master in the end, he chose to be different too. If anyone is at fault then its me for letting the past get to me, I shouldn't be upset."

* * *

_**Thanks to: **Diddleymaz and Lucifersdaughter for reviewing!**  
**_


	34. I: Outside News

"I'm sorry about your parents... and I don't blame you for being upset," Scorpius said finally, still reeling from the information about Calderon's parents being Death Eaters but he felt like he should say something, Calderon had been looking at him both nervously and expectantly and Scorpius got the distinct impression that it wasn't something the assistant usually went around telling people. He wondered if Varanian knew. He knew about Lucius torturing him after all, although why his grandfather would do that to a Death Eater's child, of all people, was beyond him.

"It's okay," Calderon muttered, not seeming to want to talk about it more but looked slightly relieved by Scorpius' reaction, he'd probably been as anxious about his reaction as when Scorpius was when he had to say he was a Malfoy.

Scorpius didn't blame him, he did wish sometimes that no one would know he was a Malfoy and wondered how much of a difference it would make in how everyone treated him. He didn't remember hearing about any Death Eater's with the last name Calderon though, either they had just hadn't been very famous Death Eaters or Calderon had just changed his name, both seemed plausible. He did feel bad for Calderon though, for having parents like that, he couldn't even imagine his own mother cutting him like that. It made him shiver._  
_

Calderon must have took him shivering to be from being wet from the rain because he raised his hand and slowly drew his fingers into a fist, Scorpius could feel the damp being drawn from his clothes, hair and skin. The water seemed to gather into a ball in front of Calderon's fist, he tossed his hand into the air and the ball of water rose higher and exploded, showering the room with rain. Not a drop touched Scorpius however.

Almost as an afterthought Calderon gestured with his hands and more light shot out from them, swooshing around the room and repairing it. Scorpius watched in amazement as the light started reassembling the chaos, fragments of wood reformed into the shelves that the newly repairing items started cramming themselves back on to as if nothing had happened, even the cracks in the walls fixed into solid stone again. In a matter of minutes almost everything was back as it was, you wouldn't believe it had been destroyed unless you'd seen it. The only thing not as normal was the light, the candles lumped themselves back together but remained unlit and dumped on the shelves rather than floating and the ball of light remained dim. In fact when Calderon's magic light completed its work and vanished, it seemed darker than ever.

"There, all's fine," Calderon stated as he lowered his arms before making a very obvious attempt to change the subject, "so... how'd the Quidditch go?"

"I got Seeker," Scorpius told him and blinked in shock, it was the first time he'd actually said it aloud and the first time that it had really hit him with everything else on his mind. He was the new Gryffindor Seeker. He'd actually be playing Quidditch in real matches, flying and trying to catch the Snitch for real, "holy shit I'm Seeker."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Calderon guessed, the assistant's Quidditch knowledge was sorely lacking but before Scorpius could reply the door opened and Varanian came in, now with slick jet black hair with fluorescent green highlight.

"Marius I-" Varanian started to say before he noticed Scorpius and glared at him angrily, "why are you everywhere?! Didn't I tell you to get the hell out of my office?"

"I am out of your office. This is Calderon's room," Scorpius pointed out but Varanian didn't seem to care, he grabbed Scorpius' shoulder roughly and hauled him out of the room, "hey! We're having a conversation."

"Well my conversations with my assistant are more important," Varanian growled and drew his wand, for a second Scorpius was worried that the headmaster would hurt him again and from the way Calderon raised in his hand in readiness, the assistant seemed to fear for that too. But instead he simply flicked it, a pile of packages and letters popped out of the air and dumped themselves in Scorpius' arms, "your mail, sorry for the delay. There's something for you to do instead of bothering me. Now go the hell away!"

Varanian didn't want for a reply but slammed shut the door, leaving Scorpius awkwardly juggling a bundle of packages, paper as well as his broom. Scorpius was half tempted to stay and try listen to what they were saying, if not for the handful of students walking down the corridor and looking at him then he might have. He sighed and awkwardly started heading back to the common room, he supposed Varanian was just going to yell at Calderon anyway. He hoped that was all Varanian was going to do to Calderon anyway. He could at least have waited until Calderon had had more time to recover. He hated Varanian.

Scorpius was glad to be back in the Gryffindor common room, he was getting weirder looks than normal on his way there. He was slightly surprised when he got back to see that his allies were also there, sitting at one of the tables and studying. Usually they'd spend the whole morning in Varanian's detention, he'd seen Varanian several times that day so far but somehow it had only just dawned on him that it had to be the afternoon. The Quidditch tryouts had taken longer than he'd thought. He tried to make his way up to the dormitory quietly so they wouldn't notice him, he wanted to go through his mail first but they spotted him. Immediately the four of them abandoned their books to race over to him, he just carried on upstairs to the dormitory regardless.

"Why didn't you tell us that you were going to tryout?!" Albus demanded as they walked with up the stairs.

"Yeah we could have tried convince Varanian let us be there to support you," Abby pointed out before her tone turned to amazement, "is that the_ Dart_ broom?"

"Forget all that!" Rose snapped, "why didn't you come back here and get the letter about Varanian?! You could have asked your grandfather to send it!"

"Guys, give him some room to breath," Michael interjected as he held open the door for Scorpius, for which Scorpius was extremely grateful as he made it back to his bed and tossed everything down on to it. He sighed heavily, finally feeling his exhaustion at the long tryout session, "and erm... when you're finished breathing, why do you have a load of mail?"

"Varanian just gave me my mail now. I didn't think about it with everything else going on. Yes it is the _Dart_ and I had no idea I would be trying out," Scorpius answered their questions patiently, his allies could be slightly annoying with their questions. Then again, if they didn't bug him with questions then sometimes he could go the whole conversation in silence and just listen. He sat down on the bed and reached for one of the parcels, hoping they'd get the hint that he wanted privacy to open it all.

"How could you not think of it?!" Rose burst out still glaring at him angrily with her hands on her hips, "do you not pay attention when we're wracking our brains trying to think of a way to get him fired and locked up?! Or is it because you just don't care that we're suffering because you just get to hang out with Calderon while we're having runes magically carved into our skin?!"

"Of course I care!" Scorpius exclaimed angrily getting to his feet, offended that she could think that, let alone say it, "it just slipped my mind okay?! There was a lot going on, I know it wasn't half as bad as your day but there was still things worrying me and I just didn't think of it until it was too late. I'm sorry."

"Why would you be sorry? You get a perfect life, perfect grades, perfect at spells, perfect at potions, you're so perfect that you even managed to get Seeker as a first year!"

"I don't have a perfect life!"

"Yes you do! Perfect, perfect, perfect!" Rose screamed at him, "everything works out perfectly for the Malfoys! Nothing ever goes wrong! Or if it does then don't worry, tell a few lies and throw a few coins and you could just get away with murder even! You don't even have to be scarred for life because magically it doesn't work for you!"

"Rose," Albus said warningly and worriedly, "getting mad at Scorpius isn't going to change anything."

"I don't care! We're being tortured by a mad headmaster and he couldn't remember one stupid letter, one! Then maybe Varanian could be locked up and I could see my dad before he dies."

"He's not going to die-"

"You don't know that!" Rose interrupted sounding on the verge of tears before she ran off, Albus and Abby both went to follow but Michael was faster and they seemed content to let him go after her.

"I feel like I'm missing something," Scorpius said carefully, trying very hard not to be upset over what she'd said and realized he was now clutching at his scarred wrist.

He moved his hand away as if burned, he supposed it was better they think lowly of him like Rose did than know the truth about his past. Losing his sister and being held prisoner for almost a year definitely made your life about as far from perfect as you could get, he couldn't tell them that though, however those were things that you did mention outside of family because Lucius didn't like anything about their personal lives to be public knowledge. Albus sighed and started to take a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket, hesitating before handing it to Scorpius.

"Vic showed us this when we got back from Varanian's detention, apparently it came with this morning's post but well you know Varanian makes us skip breakfast and most of my other my cousins were at the Quidditch tryouts to tryout or to support the others. Its dated from three days ago."

Scorpius studied the page, it was from the newspaper. He didn't know why Rose would be upset about it, there was an article about an increase in price for imported goods due to the danger of them being attacked and another about a missing boy. Scorpius scowled at the second article, it was about a nine-year-old boy who'd gone missing exactly two weeks before his tenth birthday and was still missing two months later. He might not have given it much thought, except that Scorpius happened to go missing exactly two weeks before his tenth birthday as well, it was an odd coincidence but Marvin was dead and Lucius had told him that the others were imprisoned.

"Oops," Abby commented and snatched the paper from him, flipping it around and handing it to him again. That page was the headline, the picture featured the three Aurors he'd met before when they'd wanted to know about the attack on the train tracks, Rose's dad being in the center. Scorpius immediately understood why she was worried.

_ATTACK ON AUROR!_

_Late last night an attempt was made on the life of acclaimed Deputy Head Auror Ronald Bilius Weasley, known for his efforts in the Second Wizarding War and personal involvement in the downfall of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and for which he was awarded an Order of Merlin, as well as his continued work in bringing Death Eaters justice. _

_After staying late to work on the string of recent attacks that are believed to be the work of the Shadows, the thirty-seven year old father of two was believed to be ambushed as he left the Ministry. Witnesses report the sounds of a struggle being heard, an explosion was caused with enough force to be heard within the Ministry itself which alerted those inside to the attack. The fast action of famous Head Auror Harry Potter and fellow Auror Celestine Rooke is believed to be the only thing that saved Mr Weasley's life, they arrived in time to fight off the group of assailants before they could finish what they started. None of the assailants were apprehended, witnesses report them as 'vanishing into the shadows' despite anti-apparition wards in place. _

_The attack on Mr Weasley is also believed to be the work of the mysterious Shadow organization, their symbol was left cast on the wall beside him, in his own blood as with other victims. Mr Weasley was immediately rushed to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries where he remains in critical condition, his severe injuries being non-responsive to traditional healing spells. Healers continued to work tirelessly all night to stabilize Mr Weasley's condition, as of this morning his condition is described as 'still critical but still alive, which is more than we can for any of the other victims.' Mr Weasley is currently the only known survivor of Shadow attacks, as well as the only one whose murder was interrupted but whether he will recover is still unknown. _

_Minster for Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt issued this statement this morning on the matter: 'The attack on one of own will not go unpunished, if anything it only increases our resolve to bring this Shadow Master and his entire organization to justice.' Despite this statement, there are no known suspects or even suspect descriptions of anyone involved with the Shadows and the whole organization remains the work of Dark witches or wizards unknown. _

Scorpius was worried by the whole article, the Shadows were the ones who had attacked the train tracks after all. That wasn't mentioned though, nor more detail on what attacks it was talking about. He hadn't paid too much attention to the paper before, anything interesting was usually discussed by his family over breakfast so he didn't need to anyway. That was how it used to be anyway, since he'd been back they didn't talk about anything over breakfast except to constantly ask him how he was doing so he'd been out of the loop of events in the Wizarding world for over a year. He wished he knew more although from the tone of the article he got the impression that no one really knew too much about them either.

"I can understand why Rose is upset," Scorpius said carefully when he realized that Albus and Abby were both looking at expectantly, "I hope her dad will be okay."

"So do I," Albus admitted with a worried sigh, "he's my uncle too."

"I think he's still alive at least, Varanian may be able to stop us from getting our mail but he couldn't hide something like that."

"How morbidly comforting."

"Well that article is three days old, he's hanging in there and... you know that's a good sign."

"It's still worrying," Abby pointed out, "I'm actually surprised Dad didn't tell me, I don't know whether he - or any of the teacher's - really know or not. They get their mail checked too. Although Varanian has started letting them leave in their spare time, on the weekends mostly as long as you're specific on the time and stick to it. Although it does depend on Varanian's opinion of you according to Dad, the people that he hates he rejects on whim but he likes Dad well enough, let him go home last weekend... Was before the attack though."

"So what were the tryouts like?" Albus wondered and his emerald eyes lit up with excitement, sometimes Scorpius wished his almost-friend would have different color eyes to Marvin.

Scorpius awkwardly stumbled into an account of the tryouts, Albus and Abby both listening attentively as they easily had the most interest in Quidditch of the five. He was reluctant when he got to the Seeker tryout, worried about what Albus would think of him beating his brother. His excited expression did waver but he didn't say anything as Scorpius finished talking.

"Well done mate."

"You're not that upset that I beat your brother?"

"Why would I be upset? I feel kinda bad for James but you were just better, I want Gryffindor to win and he did get Beater. Freddie said the other two had good swings but were terrible fliers so Cole offered it to James, not like he's missed out completely," Albus said with a shrug before he grinned, "besides, I can't fly for shit so now so I'm going to life vicariously through you on the Quidditch front."

"Vicariously?" Rose repeated and the trio glanced to the doorway to see she and Michael had returned, her eyes looked a little red but she smiled nervously as they walked over to them, "isn't that a little too advanced for your vocabulary, Al?"

"Maybe you just underestimate me, my dear cousin. Are you feeling any better?"

"Yeah," Rose admitted folding her arms as she lost her smile and turned to Scorpius, "I'm sorry I snapped at you like that, I was just upset and I took it out on you. That was wrong of me and I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Scorpius mumbled and couldn't stop his hand from going protectively around the scar on his wrist again, "but my life really isn't perfect, you know."

"I know. And congratulations on getting Seeker, youngest since Harry Potter."

"I don't want to be associated with him."

"Better than being associated with the Malfoys."

"I am a Malfoy and we're not all bad. Look at all these things they sent me, do evil people send gifts?"

"Maybe they're evil gifts?"

"They're just sweets I think."

"Evil sweets?" Albus offered teasingly and Scorpius groaned, pulling off the paper on one to reveal it was a very normal box of fudge, "ooh I love fudge! Gran makes the best fudge but then there's no really bad fudge. Give us a piece?"

"What happened to it being evil?" Scorpius questioned raising an eyebrow and trying a piece, Albus looked about to start drooling.

"You can't have evil fudge!"

"Hmm delicious, tastes very... evil," Scorpius commented to which Abby chuckled and it was Albus' turn to groan, Scorpius smiled slightly and offered the box to them, "I'm not that cruel, you can all have some."

"_Thank you_," Rose offered gratefully grabbing a handful before Albus could and stating to pop them into her mouth, leaving Albus and Abby to pick at the leftovers, "I'm starved, we haven't anything to eat all day."

"Aren't you going to have any, Michael?" Abby asked of the mudblood, who remained standing back respectfully, "they were just joking about the evil stuff, its really good."

"Nah, then there'd be none left for Scorpius!"

"It's okay, take it all. Sure there's more anyway," Scorpius pointed out and offered the box to Michael, leaving them to eat that while he opened the packages which all were sweets, fudge or his favorite chocolate cake. He put them in a pile beside him and told them all to dig in, they thanked him and plopped themselves around his bed to gorge on the food pile while he turned back to the letters.

There were nine of them in total, four from his parents, two from his grandmother, two from his grandfather, one from his Aunt Daph. The two from his grandmother were really short, just asking him if he'd received and liked any of the packages that she'd sent and hopes that he would reply soon. The two from his grandfather were much more formal, the first was informing him about his impending arrival and plans for him to tryout, the first one asking him what color he wished his new broom to come in because apparently it came in light brown and dark brown and he wasn't sure which one that Scorpius would prefer. The second one was to complain about his lack of reply and say that he had bought the lighter one because the other color had been sold out and he was afraid that they'd all be gone by the time Scorpius replied.

The ones from his parents were mostly full of questions, wondering how he was doing and how he was coping. They also expressed their worry over his lack of reply, wondering if he was alright and reassuring him they didn't care what house he was in. They still loved, no matter what, and it wasn't his fault that the hat put him in the wrong house. They also pointed out repeatedly that he didn't have to be in Hogwarts if he didn't want to, the four Malfoys were more than capable of homeschooling him if it made him feel safer, if he preferred and that he didn't have to put pressure on himself to do well.

Usually it got on his nerves, that it made him sound like they thought he was weak and incapable of any independence but this time it didn't. Rose's dad was fighting for his life and Calderon's mum had carved the Dark Mark onto him, it made him more aware that it could be worse on the parent front and he was glad that his parents were alive, healthy and loving. He moved onto the final letter from his Aunt, that was the oddest out of all them and Scorpius read it and re-read it but still found himself scowling.

_Dear Scorpius_

_How's my favorite little nephew? Although I suppose you're not really so little now that you're at Hogwarts! Well you're the littlest in the school but hey, you gotta start somewhere. Hope no one's giving you a tough time, if they are then just tell me and I'll knock them into the middle of next week for you! _

_I don't want to scare you or anything but I got a temp job at the Ministry, I heard some things and I really think that you have a right to be warned since they're keeping it quiet. _

_So there, now you know. Its probably best that you keep this information to yourself, you can keep a secret right? Like I said I'm not trying to scare you but I feel like you have a right to know that the Ministry think so just be careful._

_All my love_

_Aunt Daph xxx_

Scorpius felt like he was missing something, he had no idea what his Aunt was talking about. Why would she mention some things she'd heard and then immediately say 'now you know' when she hadn't actually said? The last sentence also didn't make much sense either. It was almost like the most important parts of her letter were missing or she'd forgotten to write them, she'd never done that before. Or maybe it wasn't her. If Varanian was reading the mail, what was to stop him from altering it somehow?

"Hey guys, that's enough," Michael was saying and Scorpius' attention went back to the others, "we can't eat too much, don't want to ruin your appetites for dinner."

"Yes, mother," Albus retorted mockingly through a mouthful of fudge, Michael raised an eyebrow at this before smirking.

"Albus Severus Potter, don't you dare talk to your mother with food in your mouth! Don't think that you're so old that I won't wash your mouth out with soap if you don't show me some respect. Now you get this mess cleaned up this instant and when you're done I want that bed made and this entire room spick and span," Michael told him sternly and Albus looked completely taken aback before the three of them burst into laughter, while Michael just smiled slightly, "I have a whole bunch of little brothers and sisters I'm used to taking care of."

"You're completely mental, you know that?" Rose pointed out as Michael started packing up what remained of the sweet pile.

* * *

**_Thanks to: _**_Diddleymaz, Skippy Agogo__, Lucifer__sdaughter, Aya Diefair and Red for reviewing_**_  
_**


	35. I: Low Spirits

Scorpius didn't say anything else to his allies about his day, he was tempted to ask them what they thought of his Aunt's letter and Varanian's possible tampering of the mail but he thought better of it. It seemed wrong to mention it or the obelisk and what Professor Ashain had told him about the blood runes in the wake of Rose's dad being in hospital, the last thing they needed was more on their minds so at the very least it could wait for a better time.

The whole atmosphere of Scorpius' world seemed melancholy over the next few weeks. Rose and Albus were noticeably worried about her dad, their concentration on their schoolwork was lacking and they were quieter themselves. Albus seemed to try be his usual self around his cousin to keep her spirits up but alone Michael had to pry talk out of him, Michael as usual being the one trying to cheer everyone up. Even Abby seemed quieter as did Molly, he supposed the whole Weasley clan would be worried and there were a lot of them, twelve in total according to Molly but three weren't at Hogwarts yet. Calderon too was unusually withdrawn and jumpy -albeit for different reasons than the others- so much that some of the other staff members picked up on it, you could tell who he was closer to by who noticed his change in behavior. Scorpius actually missed his demented laughter.

The biggest change to his routine was Quidditch practice though. The very next day Albus woke him up at the same early hour that Varanian made them get up, telling him that Quidditch Captain Cole wanted to see him. Scorpius was instantly awake as he went down into the common rooms to find nearly a dozen other students there with Cole, all of whom had been at the tryouts. Cole had apparently called the meeting after he'd left to tell them about the Quidditch practice times. They'd be training five times a week due to Scorpius' inexperience playing Quidditch, he'd cleared it with both Professor McGonagall and surprisingly enough Varanian had also agreed to let Scorpius keep his broom despite being a first year.

Scorpius found Quidditch practice both exhausting and exhilarating. On one hand it was great, he loved flying more than he'd ever thought he could and he actually got along with the other team members, with the exception of James. They seemed to think his potential as a Seeker outweighed whatever prejudice there was about him being a Malfoy and the Charms incident. He was pleased with the team, Molly had got Keeper, Freddie and James were the Beaters, Cole and two older girls who'd been on the team last year: Christine Wood and Danielle Scraffer were the Chasers and there were also five reserves who practiced with them too. One of the reserves surprised him as being another Weasley, Louis, who was an uncommonly handsome blond rather than a redhead like the majority of his cousins.

Quidditch practice did have its downsides though, it cut into his already small amount of free time for one. Varanian may have agreed for him to practice but he still was expected to have a detention every single day, on top of still keeping up with his homework. He also wasn't used to doing so much physical activity, after a week's worth of training he had muscles aching that he didn't even know he'd had.

Sometimes he felt as though he didn't have time to breathe, he was exhausted but he wouldn't slow his pace. He refused to let his work fall behind, failing because you deliberated neglected your work was different to failing when you'd actually tried. He'd rather try and fail then not try at all, it was the whole point of school, he quite literally couldn't sleep if he knew he still had homework to be done for the next day. He couldn't back out of Quidditch either, too many people were expecting it of him now, his family - who had sent him a bundle of gifts and congratulated him repeatedly in a very long letter, his allies, not to mention the team, even if secretly the prospect of flying around in front of a thousand eyes terrified him a bit. He mostly tried not to think about that. The plus side of being so busy though was that by the time he collapsed into bed at night, he was so tired that his sleep was free of nightmares.

He did reply to his family's letters, a short one thanking his grandmother for the treats - although he left out that the majority had been eaten by his friends and a much longer one to his parents with more detail on his life, or at least the positive aspects of his life and he didn't mention being stressed from everything. He was tempted to write to his Aunt Daphne about her strange letter but stopped himself, if Varanian had tampered with the letter then this would tell him that Scorpius knew about it and he feared what Varanian might do, he'd given Professor Ashain an extra page of probation rules out of spite for his comments after all.

Things did start to pick up more as they drew closer to October, the updates Rose was receiving on her father's condition - albeit always a few days later than they were dated - were improving. He remained unconscious but was more stable, they'd tried a rare old potion and it seemed to have helped and it seemed to put the cousins' minds at ease. According to the papers there were still no leads on who had attacked him though, the Shadows remained in the shadows. Calderon had gradually been becoming more his usual self as time went by, when October came he was pretty much back to normal and excited for Halloween.

* * *

_"Eurgh!" Draco snapped irritably as they stalked through the streets, "why is everything taking so bloody long?!" _

_"Calm down, dear, we're nearly there," Narcissa offered gently but Draco was having none of it and walking so fast that Nacissa was struggling to keep up._

_They reached red-bricked condemned cover that was used to hide the hospital finally, Lucius not having much time to examine everything as Draco and Astoria were already stepping through the window with Narcissa on their heels. Lucius supposed he couldn't blame them, if he hadn't seen Scorpius earlier than he knew he would probably be just as eager to get to the boy. He stepped through after them and found himself predictably in the much more sanitary looking hospital, the first floor of St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.  
_

_It was crowded inside, the mid-morning rush perhaps but then Lucius hadn't spent much time in the hospital so he wasn't sure what was normal. The looks they were getting were normal though, angry eyes from people who believed the Malfoys shouldn't have gotten off so lightly for their part in the Second Wizarding War, he could hear them muttering and pointing. It was something they'd all been forced to endure since He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named had fallen, normally it annoyed him but he didn't care that day. He was all too aware that he'd sold his soul and feared at any second that something bad would happen, he'd heard nothing from those people since they'd taken Scorpius._

_"Out of my way!" Draco snapped to the people in line at the desk marked 'Inquiries' which earned him some indignant looks, Draco didn't care however and barged his way past them to the Welcome Witch, "where's my son?!"  
_

_"There are other people in line first," the young witch pointed out in a seemingly forced polite tone, Lucius could hear several people muttering under their breaths in outrage._

_"My son is more important than them! Where is he?!" Draco snarled slamming his fist on to the desk angrily, the witch jumped slightly but it only seemed to harden her resolve.  
_

_"Look, I'm sorry but you really must wait at the back of the line. Those people were here first."_

_"Please," Astoria begged before Draco could open his mouth and offend the Welcome Witch further, "our son is just an innocent little boy, he's only ten years old and we don't know how badly he's hurt or where is he is so please, please tell us where Scorpius is."_

_"Well..." the Welcome Witch started to say, her expression softening with sympathy before she was interrupted by a Healer.  
_

_"Scorpius Malfoy?" the Healer questioned, a plump gray-haired woman, "I'm the Healer-in-Charge of his ward, are you his family?"_

_"Yes, yes," Draco said immediately as his attention went to the Healer and his anger become worried desperation, "is he okay? Can we see him?"_

_"Follow me," the Healer stated and the four Malfoy's went after him, leaving behind a grateful crowd, "he's on his floor in the Miscellaneous section, the man who brought him in wasn't quite sure what had happened to him. He said that the boy had been missing for about ten months and you'd paid for him to be tracked down, is that correct?"_

_"Yes," Draco repeated worriedly, "he owled us this morning saying he'd found Scorpius and he was here but nothing else, except to ask for his pay but that's not really relevant. How is he? Is he okay?"_

_"We've done everything we can for him, healed him all we can."_

_"What does that mean? Is he going to be alright?" Astoria spoke up, sounding on the verge of tears as the Healer led them through the door into a ward, Lucius immediately spied Scorpius in the closest bed. He still seemed to be sleeping and he noticed Astoria visibly hold herself back from running to him, in favor of listening to the Healer._

_"He's going to live, we've healed most of his physical injuries which weren't too major except... except his wrist, it won't heal, none of the usual spells or potions touch it and we're not sure why, especially as according to the man who brought him in that it was muggles who-" _

_"Muggles?!" Narcissa burst out and all of them looked stunned, Lucius didn't blame them for that either. He'd known it had to be muggles when he'd seen the gun, muggles hadn't even been on the list of suspects, "those filthy muggles did this to him?"_

_"That's what the other man said, I suggest you take it up with him. The wrist injury is not serious though, we can show him how to bandage it until it heals and it shouldn't effect his use of the limb either which is good. He was dehydrated but we dealt with that. He also either wasn't fed very much or was deliberately starved, he's underweight although not life-threateningly but its something to watch. You'll just have to make sure he has regular balanced meals until to get his weight back up, we can draw up a meal plan with you if you'd like."_

_"Sure," Draco said nodding and folding his arms nervously, his eyes darting between Scorpius and the Healer anxiously, "is that all?"_

_"Well physically yes," the Healer answered looking suddenly uncomfortable and saddened, "I'd be more worried about the emotional damage of it all, there's nothing we can do for that... I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this but you should know, he was sexually abused too."_

_"No, Merlin's... no," Draco stuttered and started crying, "how could... how could anyone... he's just a child, he's just my little boy."_

_"F-Father?" _

_It was the first time any of them had heard Scorpius' voice in such a long time, he sounded weak as his eyes fluttered open and the Healer was forgotten as his parents ran to him as he managed to sit up. Draco sat down on the edge of the bed and wrapped his arms round his son, Scorpius buried his head in his father's chest while Astoria sat down on his other side and attempted to hug him too._

_"You're okay now, everything's going to be okay. You're safe, no one's ever going to hurt you again, you're okay," Draco sobbed before kissing the top of Scorpius head, pulling his son away to look at his face. Scorpius looked infinitely relieved and as ready to cry as his mother but he didn't._

_"I thought I was never going to see any of you again, I thought I was going to die... I love you," Scorpius whispered and Astoria lost the fight with her tears as she hugged her son to her tightly, Draco just held his bandaged hand tightly and Narcissa went over to sit on the bed too._

_"We love you so too," Astoria told him gently, "we love you so much, Scorpius, we're so glad you're okay, you're okay now."_

_The Healer seemed to decide to just leave them to it for then and walked off, Lucius just stood back and watched his family. Guiltily wondering if he hadn't blown off Celestine the first two times, if he had just heard him out, then would it have been possible to spare Scorpius from suffering? It would have spared him from being a murderer at least, even if Lucius thought the muggle who died deserved it, if anything Lucius wished he could've killed the man himself. After torturing him first. Anyone who hurt his grandson deserved a slow, painful death. He met Scorpius' gray eyes.__"WAKE UP!"_

Lucius didn't know who had spoken but he shot up immediately, noticing Brutus' unmistakable face looking at him, not the best view to wake up to but he said nothing, merely gestured with his hand for Lucius to follow. Lucius was about to obey when he felt Narcissa's arm across his chest, gently pulling him back onto the bed. She was lying on her front, her eyes didn't open but her hand found his and she nuzzled her head into his neck.

"It was just a dream, sweetheart," she whispered comfortingly as she squeezed his hand, "it's okay."

"I know," Lucius said quietly back and saw Brutus roll his eyes in frustration, he gestured more forcefully for Lucius to come on before slipping out of the room with surprising stealth, "I just need some air for a minute, alright?"

"Alright," Narcissa agreed, flicking her eyes open sleepily. Lucius squeezed her hand back before climbing out of bed, he kissed her gently on the cheek and she smiled slightly, closing her eyes once more.

"Be back soon."

Lucius pulled on his favorite dressing gown before exiting the room, there was no sign of Brutus but considering all of their previous interaction had occurred in his study, Lucius thought that was a good place to start. He hadn't had contact with them at all since being branded, that was almost a month ago but he had no way or much of a desire to contact them anyway, although he knew they were still active as they continued to rule the headlines. His brand still stung painfully and had been mad itchy since he'd ran out of potion, he'd also been plagued by headaches of late but nothing seemed to help them, it all sank his spirits rather low. He reached the study and found Brutus slouched lazily on his couch with another bottle of his liquor in his hands, gulping it down like it wasn't worth a fortune.

"Seriously, do you mind?! Do you know how much that is worth?!" Lucius snapped irritably.

"Oh yes. I grew up around luxury, remember? Downside of course is that you get used it, all the cheap stuff is like goblin's piss in comparison and alcohol isn't the kind of thing that the master splurges on. Since you were taking so long I thought I'd help myself to some of yours."

"Again."

"Yep," Brutus said shamelessly with a grin as he got to his feet and walked over to him.

"What do you want this time anyway? Aside from my most expensive liquor."

"You wanted to meet the master, didn't you? The master is obliging your request, you should be grateful."

Lucius didn't even have time to think of a reply before Brutus was grabbing his branded arm with his free, Lucius swallowed a yelp of pain that his grip caused the sensitive wound before he was being engulfed by shadows again. The sensation was no more comfortable than last time, Lucius still found himself weak and staggering but this time Brutus forcefully hauled him with one hand into a chair.

"About time, Brutus," Celestine's voice snapped sharply, disapprovingly, "and stop drinking already! Do you really want to be drunk in the master's presence?!"

Lucius tried to force his mind to normalcy again as he took in the room, he was seating before a huge ornate desk in a rather lavish study. It wasn't all too much different to his own, except his own was less colorful and here there was a fire blazing and several lanterns around the place. It was warm and bright, drapes were drawn across the windows so he couldn't see anything from outside. Celestine was leaning against the wall in the corner, arms folded and a scowl on his face.

"Takes more than this to make me drunk," Brutus growled in reply and defiantly took another swig from the bottle, "Lucius here was taking ages tearing himself away from that wife of his."

"That ugly old hag?"

"Hey!" Lucius heard himself saying defensively before he could stop himself, "leave my wife alone."

"Don't worry," Brutus laughed, "your wife, son and grandson are on the master's off-limit list. For now anyway. Long as you do as your told and they don't do anything to piss the master off."

"You talk too much, you know that?" Celestine complained.

"You're just jealous."

"Jealous of an butt-ugly, lazy slob that does nothing?"

"Hey! I do a lot, I'm just supposed to be dead so I can't go prancing in the public eye like you can."

"Both of you," a new voice interrupted and Lucius looked over his shoulder to see a third man entering, another former Death Eater, Roland Seraph, "stop bickering, the master is ready."

"Not you too," Lucius grumbled with a heavy sigh as the olive-skinned man walked over to them, he looked different than when Lucius had last seen him. He did look older, his curly jet-black hair was looped with strands of gray but worst was most of the right side of his face was horrifically burned and the eye was covered by a brown eye-patch, his right arm was ruined and crippled uselessly to his side, "I really thought you would be better than this."

"I got a good deal going here," Seraph told him somewhat stiffly and nodded his head towards Brutus, "his bastard brother kinda ruined my own plans when he destroyed my followers and half my body, the master saved me and offered me a fair deal."

"Well next time don't booby trap your base with things that exploded because other people can use them to their advantage, its your own fault," Brutus said defensively and took another swig from the bottle, "bloody idiot you are, Seraph."

"I'm not an idiot, it was very smart and for every man I lost, an Auror died too. It is not my fault, it's his and I will be sure that your brother knows that's why he's being tortured to death when I get my revenge."

"Atty's off-limits, you know that."

"For now."

Brutus and Seraph eyed each other darkly, hatred burning in their gaze. Lucius' attention was drawn back to Celestine though, to his surprise he saw a Specter was forming beside the sandy-haired man. Celestine smiled, closing his eyes and held out his arms, immediately the Specter stepped into him and the man took a deep gasping breath as it did so. Lucius was incredibly confused, why would Celestine need a Specter inside him?

Celestine opened his opened and Lucius jolted in shock, they were now black. Completely pitch black. Pupil, iris, even the sclera were just black, a glowing shadowy black. Celestine smiled and walked towards the desk, his movements seeming different than before, more graceful almost as his moved his hand across the desk. Brutus seemed to notice this and violent grabbed Lucius, throwing him roughly onto the ground.

"Kneel before you master!" Brutus roared and slammed Lucius' head back down when he tried to look up, he was even more confused, how could Celestine be the master?

"Thank you, Brutus," Celestine's voice said but something about his voice seemed... different, "you can get up now, Lucius. I apologize for their rudeness, there's no reason why we can't _all_ be civil, is there? Please, take a seat."

Lucius got to his feet shakily and sat back down, he raised his now throbbing head back up and saw Celestine was now sitting at the desk. His left leg was crossed over the right, the foot on the knee while his right elbow was perched on the arm of the chair with his head rested against the hand. His other hand was drumming the fingers on the desk while he continued to smile at Lucius. Brutus and Seraph were both kneeling on the ground, bowing towards Celestine at the desk.

"I don't understand," Lucius said slowly.

"Its quite simply really, your Specter is dormant but I can still see and hear through it whereas they can be used to possess completely, I can control the victim as though they were my own body and speak through them," Celestine explained or rather not-Celestine, the more he talked the more Lucius did notice the difference in speech. It was Celestine's voice but the shape of the words were different, the pronunciation slightly off which Lucius supposed made sense if someone else was using his voice, he wondered if that could happen to him, "dear Cel let the Specter temporarily possess him for this purpose so you can meet me as per your request, I'm sure you have questions and I see no reason as to not answer them."

"Can you do that to me?"

"Of course."

"I meant to meet you in person, you know."

"I know but this is in person for me, I could hardly show myself to you. If you happened to - you two can get up now - lose the Specter inside you then I would be at a disadvantage because you'd know my face and for now I intend to remain in the shadows. I am rather protective of my real body because I wouldn't want to die now, would I?" Celestine - or rather the Master - explained conversationally and Lucius was struck by a sudden bubble of hope as the other two men got to their feet.

"I could lose the Specter and keep my soul?"

"Well its a unlikely possibility but once gone you would have to agree to it all over again. However very few people know how to banish them, only my most trusted followers who wouldn't attempt it and even if they did then I'd know and have the Specter take your soul with it. That leaves two, one of those is me and the other... well he'd have to know you have a Specter first and you were exceedingly cruel to him before anyway. So I wouldn't get your hopes up, I own you, Lucius. I'm the Master now. The Shadow Master."

"Do you have an actual name?" Lucius wondered with a scowl, his bubble of hope refusing to burst.

"Of course but I'm not telling you it. To you I'm the Shadow Master, you may address me such," the Shadow Master told him and the grin on Celestine's face widened, "maybe you'll live long enough to know my real name, Lucius. I own your soul now but soon enough I will own every soul in the world, you're like... a pioneer. I will do what my father failed to do, I will take over this pathetic excuse for a world, I will own the world and everyone will bow to me. One day soon, every witch, wizard, every sentient species and every filthy muggle will know my name, they will tremble before my power and kneel before their Master or feel my wrath as I reinvent the world to my design. You look at me like I'm mad but I've spent nineteen years planning and gathering forces, consolidating my strength. Look at the fear and panic I'm causing, look at how many deaths there's been and that doesn't even count the ones I don't have credit for or the souls I own and I've only started making my move these past few months, imagine what I have in store. So Lucius, ready for your next task?"

* * *

_**Thanks to: **Lucifersdaughter and Diddleymaz for reviewing!**  
**_


	36. I: When Bad News Comes

Lucius staggered as he was sent spiraling by the shadow teleportation again, he really didn't understand why they couldn't just apparate like normal people. Brutus didn't seem to notice or care about his discomfort though, Lucius breathed deeply, annoyed by the strong perfume smell coming from him and saw they were in another house, it looked more like a cottage really with beams on the ceiling and cold sunlight streaming through the windows. It was the weekend, the Saturday in mid-October and he'd been taken to carry out his next task. He'd been dreading it since the Master had told him of it, now it was actually happening he felt even more apprehensive and he had a sickening knot in his gut.

He saw Seraph was there, looking impatient and scowling. There were a handful of others that Lucius didn't recognize though, men and women that all looked to be in different ages in their twenties. One girl was standing over a cauldron and had started ladling it into two goblets as soon as they'd arrived, a boy came over and sprinkled something from each hand into both and a third was standing nearby with two piles of neatly folded clothes in each arm.

"Am I missing something?" Lucius wondered.

"Did you really think you'd be doing this as yourself? Polyjuice potion to conceal our identities, we're doing it as the Minister's niece and nephew so he'll get discredited and they'll be blamed. The relatives in question currently suffering from a bad case of sleeping potion while we commandeer their house for this mission, their parents are vacationing in Italy for their wedding anniversary," Brutus explained with a smirk as the girl handed them a goblet each, "bottoms up, Lucius."

Lucius groaned and looked at the golden liquid, he didn't like the thought of turning into someone else even if it was good that it would better protect them. He drank it quickly as did Brutus, he'd expected it to taste horrible but it actually wasn't as bad as he'd thought. He regretted thinking that immediately. He felt like he was going to throw it back up, his legs seemed to give way and he fell onto the couch. An uncomfortably tingly stingy sensation spread out from his stomach across the rest of his body, he felt as though his skin was bubbling and when he looked at his hands he saw that they were, the skin was darkening and smoothing out. It was like he was shrinking because his clothes stated to be too big except at the chest which seemed to be expanding, his insides felt like they were being twisted inside out and he had an uncomfortable sensation in other places. Then it was over. He heard someone shrieking with laughter and turned around to see a skinny dark-skinned boy who looked no older than nineteen standing where Brutus had been, wearing Brutus' clothes that were oversized for his slight frame.

"Why are you laughing?" Lucius asked and slapped his hand across his mouth as the words came out, his eyes bulged, he had a high-pitched girlie voice. It took him a moment to recall that they were going as the _niece_ and nephew, he looked down at his chest and felt himself blushing furiously, Brutus laughed harder, "why do I have to be the girl?!"

"Well you're older than me and the girl's older than the boy and you do have long hair like her," Brutus said in the boy's much younger, less gruff voice, "and I have a buzz cut like this kid. Have been thinking about growing it longer though."

"That's a stupid excuse! I'm a man!" Lucius shrieked in the girl's voice, blushing again at the sound of it which only made Brutus laugh more, "stop laughing! You're the one who smells like perfume!"

"It's not mine, I was with a woman last night."

"You?!"

"Shut up, both of you and get changed," Seraph interrupted glaring between them both as they were handed a pile of clothes each, "you know the master likes things to get done quickly and efficiently."

"I know what the master likes more than you do," Brutus grumbled snatching the pile of clothes, "taking five minutes to laugh at Lucius Malfoy for being a girl won't ruin anything, you only live once, Seraph, and you gotta laugh sometimes."

Seraph said nothing to this but didn't look like laughing, Lucius recalled he was quite a serious man, which was good because it made him trustworthy for getting things do. He got changed as quickly as he could, trying very hard to not look at his body or feel embarrassed. He didn't much like the feel of wearing a dress either, he really couldn't wait for it be over with. He was handed a wand as he finished changing, Brutus seeming to have finished before, he was now holding a different wand to his own and tapping his foot in annoyance for having to wait.

"You women take forever," Brutus complained as his smirk returned, Lucius failed to not blush and mentally kicked himself, he hadn't blushed so much in his life.

"Shut up," Lucius snapped at him irritably, "I'm still a man."

"Of course you are," Brutus said sarcastically as he pulled Lucius to his feet, finally losing his smile as he seemed to realize he'd also lost his muscles and Lucius felt very peculiar at having dropped a foot in height, everything was now on a level to him and he had to look up at Brutus, whereas before they were around the same height with Lucius being possibly just slighter taller, "come on, sis."

Lucius was swarmed again by shadows and a second later he was staggering against the wall in an alleyway, Brutus tugged at his arm to come on and not bother catching his breath. They exited the alleyway and were thrown into a throng of people, Brutus practically pulled him through the crowd with a vice grip making up for his loss of strength. He just sighed an annoyingly girlie sigh and let Brutus lead him, wondering what kind of mad desperate woman would possibly date a deformed dead man. They only came to a halt just outside the Leaky Cauldron and Lucius was again stricken by anxiety, along with -surprisingly enough- guilt.

"Do I really have to do this?" Lucius asked miserably and Brutus nodded.

"Unless you'd rather get your soul ripped out now," Brutus amended with a serious expression on the teen's face, "remember, we're after Longbottom while he's with his family, the master would rather he be hurt not dead but if he dies than he dies, don't make any special allowances to save him or his wife and son. Don't make any special allowances to save anyone, no man, woman or child, it can't seem like we have any preferences. The object is to instill fear and make Varanian think that the school is in danger."

"I remember," Lucius sighed heavily, even if he didn't know why that mattered. They drew their wands. "Forgive me."

* * *

Scorpius was in good spirits as the Quidditch practice ended as he was feeling good about his progress, he learned more from the practice and the tips from the other players than he did from flying lessons. They headed back to the castle, aside from a few who were showering. Scorpius never stayed back to shower, he couldn't, he didn't even use the ones in the castle unless no one was around. James had stayed back though, for which Scorpius was grateful. Despite being a grudgingly good Beater, the Bludgers James hit had an annoying habit of 'accidentally' going in Scorpius' direction.

The group was listening to Freddie chat excitedly about the new Halloween themed products his dad was working on as they headed back to the castle. Scorpius had passed Freddie's dad's shop before but had never gone inside, it had seemed fascinating to him but his father forbade it every time he'd asked when he was younger. The last time they went to Diagon Alley for his school supplies his dad had allowed it, it had been Scorpius' turn to refuse though, he hadn't really been in the mood for a joke shop anymore.

His good mood wavered when they got to the common room though, the rest of Gryffindor didn't share the Quidditch team's acceptance of him - minus James. Not that he wanted their acceptance, he still hated being in the wrong house but it would be nice to not get stared at so much. It was unnerving and put him on edge, it was one of the reasons he had started to look forward to his detentions because the staff didn't look at him with prejudiced eyes, even Professor Flitwick didn't seen to hold it against him about the Charms incident.

The Quidditch team went their separate ways to put away their brooms and change, Scorpius returned to the empty dormitory and tried to be quick as to not keep Calderon waiting. Predictably the assistant was waiting for him outside, chatting to the portrait that guarded the common rooms as he usually did, the plump lady rather enjoyed having someone to talk to.

"And now I must bid you farewell, talk to you soon," Calderon said to her with a bow as the entrance closed again, he didn't wait for her reply before he was leading Scorpius away, "so how was practice?"

Scorpius launched into an excited, detailed description of it for the assistant. He wasn't sure why though, Calderon displayed little interest in Quidditch and had mentioned before that he didn't even watch the school matches but he always asked and Scorpius always answered. He'd just finished when they stopped outside the gargoyle to Varanian's office, Calderon saying the password and Scorpius reluctantly followed him up.

"What are we doing?" Scorpius wondered worriedly, the prospect of spending a detention with Varanian killed his good mood.

"Cleaning Pippy's office," Calderon answered with a shrug as he literally skipped into the other room, throwing up his arms to summon a bucket and mop, "I wouldn't use magic if I were you, not for his office in case be comes back and complains."

"Okay," Scorpius agreed as he started on the floor, trying not to be disappointed as he had gotten much better as using magic in his detentions.

"I liked this room better when the portraits weren't turned away, seems kinda rude," Calderon was saying as he plopped himself down in Varanian's chair and looked around the room, sitting at the headmaster's desk suited him, "used to have fascinating discussions with them and with the Sorting Hat too but Pippy has it boxed up now too, it always refused to tell me what house it thinks I would've been in though. I would have liked to know that."

"Well its not too accurate lately and maybe it'll tell you someday anyway, whoever takes over from Varanian will probably put the office back normally like it was for Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall and err... Snape? Whoever else was headmaster."

"Pippy only made these changes this year, its his third year as headmaster but the first two years he had it basically the way Minerva did, except with pictures of his family on the desk but he put them away now."

"Why?"

"Damned if I know," Calderon said with another shrug and had a thoughtful expression on his face, "I liked it better before. You know this is where I first met Minerva? It was over the summer, about a month after my nineteenth birthday. I didn't know what to do without a master anymore, I had no home, no money, no one to help me and I was terrified of hurting someone else with my power. I thought Hogwarts might be willing to teach me some control, a stupid plan maybe but I didn't know what else to do so I came here, Ruby found me on the grounds as I was heading to the castle and brought me here to see Minerva. I was pretty terrified by that point and well... the windows kind of exploded, I expected to be punished like usual but she just fixed it and told me to sit down, right across from where I sit now and... well the rest you know."

Scorpius scowled and just went back to his work, sometimes he really worried about Calderon's past. Calderon started cleaning the windows though, magically the way he did without a wand or a spell, just motioning with his hand as he remained seated he rested his head on his hand and yawned. He looked tired but the marks on his cheek were almost completely gone at least as was Scorpius', he was just about to ask if he was supposed to mop under the desk or just go around it when an owl flew through the open open. Calderon looked immediately awake as the Barn owl dropped the letter on the desk in front of him, the assistant stopped cleaning the windows to open it.

"Are you really allowed to read Varanian's mail?" Scorpius asked worriedly, he didn't want Calderon to get in trouble.

"Of course, you think he can bothered to read his own mail? Gets me to read it all and summarize it, things of important or of interest he'll then read for himself or have me read it aloud to him," Calderon explained and turned to the letter.

Scorpius was working up the courage to ask him about Varanian's possible tampering of the mail, he would try to ask it casually since they were on the subject of letters and people reading them. But he noticed the expression on Calderon's face as he read, neutral becoming worried becoming horrified. He was on his feet the instant his eyes left the page, stalking towards the exit with it still clutched in his hand.

"Come on," Calderon offered and Scorpius had to run to keep up with him as the assistant made it to the stairs, he snapped his fingers as they started to go down and the mop and bucket were gone again.

Calderon was walking incredibly quickly and Scorpius could barely keep up with him as they came through the castle and out into the grounds, heading towards the forest. The expression on the assistant's face was anxious, Scorpius kept expecting him to explain what was happening, what the letter had said to freak him out but he said nothing.

"What's happening?" Scorpius asked finally as they went into the forest.

"The Leaky Cauldron was attacked," Calderon said darkly without glancing at him.

Scorpius was worried, Abby's mum was the Landlady and the family lived in the apartment above it... Scorpius scowled in worry, had it been one of the weekends that Professor Longbottom visited them? He couldn't remember if Abby had said. They reached the area where his allies and Nott were having their detention with a now redheaded Varanian, the headmaster leaning against a tree and supervising them. He felt an angry twist in his stomach and from the way that several nearby trees suddenly burst into flames, Calderon seemed to feel the same.

Varanian looked irritated at the interruption and opened his mouth, probably to yell at Calderon before the assistant pushed the letter into his hand. His allies and Nott stopped what they were doing with the discs to watch, looking at him in askance to which he held out his hands and shrugged to say he hadn't a clue too. Well he did but he wasn't entirely sure why it was so important that Varanian see, he hoped Professor Longbottom hadn't been there. An even worse thought struck him, what if one of any of Abby's family had died? Varanian read it silently, curiously enough his hair changed to the tawny color again as he read and when he looked up his expression was worried.

"Um... the trees are on the fire," Nott spoke up sounding terrified, Calderon gestured and the fires died, "thank you."

"That's enough for today, you were nearly done anyway, " Varanian said and the others looked visibly relieved, "you're dismissed except Amy and Lily, come here."

"Abby and Rose," Calderon corrected and Varanian looked annoyed as Nott wasted no time in bolting, the others remained - including Albus and Michael - and cautiously approached Varanian. Scorpius stayed too, he wasn't sure that being dismissed applied to him and clearly something was wrong.

"Whatever their names are," Varanian snapped before turning to Abby, "the Leaky Cauldron was attacked, your parents and brother are all in hospital in critical condition."

"Are they going to be okay?" Albus asked worriedly as Abby gasped in shock and put her hands over her mouth, tears pricked at her eyes and Rose put her arm around her friend comfortingly.

"It doesn't say," Calderon answered solemnly.

"Didn't I dismiss you?" Varanian asked irritably of Albus, who stared at his feet but didn't leave as the headmaster turned back to Abby, "you're to see them now, along with your sister and brother. Unless any of you don't want-"

"I want to," Abby interrupted tearfully and Varanian just nodded.

"Then you have permission to, Hermione Weasley requests the three of you be ready and she'll pick you up in an hour. You too Daisy, if you want to see your father in the hospital while the Longbottoms will be there but she wants to point out that he's still not conscious, she was trying to wait until he was but its your decision if you want to see him now."

"I want to see him now," Rose confirmed.

"Alright then. But you don't have an hour, as soon as your ready then Marius will take you there."

"I will?" Calderon wondered looking confused.

"Marius, they could die. I don't think its something that should wait, even for an hour and I can't very well go," Varanian pointed out and Abby couldn't help but burst into tears, Varanian seemed oblivious to this though, "you can find out how Neville's doing too, we need to know about his condition and I'd rather have you there than rely on those half-wit Healers and distracted family to tell us things."

"I suppose."

"Well I know, Hogwarts can survive without you for a day. Get the other Longbottom kids, tell them to pack an overnight bag because not sure how long they'll be. Girls, come on with me, need you to go to the Gryffindor tower so you can pack your overnight bag then you can wait in my office for Marius and the others," Varanian announced and started to head back to the castle with everyone in tow, Scorpius grabbed Rose's arm.

"Get the letter," he breathed into her ear, she'd given him enough hassle about it and this was their chance. She nodded and gave him a slight grateful smile.

"Scor, do you know where either the Hufflepuff or Slytherin common rooms are?" Calderon asked of him and Scorpius jumped in surprise.

"Err... yeah Slytherin one, yeah."

"Good, because you're helping me get them."

"I am?"

"You're my assistant, aren't you?" Calderon questioned and Scorpius felt an odd surge of pride, other people had called him that but it was the first time that Calderon had and it made him feel incredibly proud for no reason and he nodded, fighting back a smile that would be inappropriate considering the worry for the Longbottoms, "good, so assist, so it'll be faster if we split up. Go there and see if Nick Longbottom is there, if he's not then ask around for where he'll be and track him down. Tell him what we know and take him to the headmaster's office, you know where it is and you know the password."

"I will," Scorpius said, determined not to let Calderon down as they reached the castle.

Scorpius and Calderon split off from the main group, Michael and Albus following with Varanian and the girls uncertainly and worriedly. Scorpius was actually glad to have something to do, he was worried too and worry had a habit of eating you up inside. He may not be as involved as the others who actually knew the Longbottom family or were part of it but still cared, it was Abby's _family_ and she was his frie- ally and he liked Professor Longbottom himself. He'd had a few of his detentions with him after all, he was one of the ones that had a good relationship to Calderon and despite his father's dislike of the man, Professor Longbottom had always been nice to him too.

He'd never actually been to the Slytherin common room before but he'd heard it described by his father and grandparents, he knew where it was. He tried saying the password that Hal had given him but it must have been out of date by then because it didn't open up, he groaned in frustration and in desperation started hammering on the entrance.

"Hello?! Anyone in there?!" Scorpius called as loudly as he dared and pummeled his fist against the stone so much that it hurt, "someone! Anyone!"

He was just considering getting out his wand and trying using a spell to make it open, he didn't think it would work but at the very least a bit of magic might make some student come to investigate. He didn't have to though because the entrance opened and he saw Hal standing there, looking worried.

"Hey Scorpius," Hal greeted him and seemed to smile nervously, "what are you doing here?"

"I need to find Nick Longbottom. Is he in there?"

"Nick?" Hal repeated and nodded, "sure but wh-"

"I need to talk to him. It's urgent."

"Did Calderon send you?"

"Yes."

"Well come on then."

Scorpius had expected Hal to just go inside and fetch Nick for him but he moved aside instead, to allow him access. Scorpius wasn't complaining, as long as he got to talk to Nick. Hal led him up the passageway, occasionally looking at him in askance but Scorpius thought it was probably best to keep it to himself and Nick.

The Slytherin common rooms was very different to the Gryffindor one, he knew it extended part way under the lake and as a result there was a greenish tinge to the light. Instead of seeing outside, from of all the windows you could see beneath the water, his father had said once that the swishing water was relaxing at night. There was a bunch of leather couches with Slytherin's seated around them, all the wood seemed dark. He thought the room was very grand but cold. It was the house that he should have been in really, the house he'd been expected to be placed in. But as he stood in that room though... he didn't feel like he belonged there and the water was creepy, it reminded him of almost drowning on the first day.

"That's Nick over there," Hal said and pointed out a boy who was snogging a pretty dark-skinned girl who looked slightly older than him, "I'll um... leave you to it, I'm kinda supposed to be doing prefect stuff now but if you need anything else."

"I'll ask, thanks Hal."

Hal seemed to nod nervously before heading back down the passageway, Scorpius took a deep breath. No one was really paying attention to him, too engrossed in whatever they were doing as he strode over to Abby's brother. Abby had talked about him before, despite the difference in house they were actually quite close, closer than she was to her sixteen year old sister anyway. He knew Nick was in the same year as Molly and played the same position as her for Slytherin, according to the team he was good. He was skinny with short brown hair that the girl was currently running her hands through while he moved his hand on her leg, Scorpius cleared his throat very loudly and they both stopped and looked at him with indignant expressions.

"Do you mind?!" the girl exclaimed glaring at him.

"Do you?! You're in a public place and he's only thirteen, don't know how old you are but don't you think you're too young?" Scorpius complained and she looked even more outraged but Nick only chuckled.

"Just wait until you start liking girls," Nick pointed out and leaned back confidently, resting comfortably in the corner and smiling oddly, "or boys I guess, if you swing that way. So what can I do for my little sister's friend who managed to sneak into a common room that's not his own?"

"Calderon sent me. I..." Scorpius started to say but was put off by the still glaring girl, "I kinda need to speak you alone."

"Best indulge him, Mathilda, wouldn't want you to get levitated to death," Nick said to the girl - presumably - who sighed in frustration and got up and stalked off, Nick peering after her as she went at rather a low angle and Scorpius had to bite back a snap of irritation that he should be more respectful to women, "take note of his, being a star Quidditch player gets you all the hottest girls, if you're any good as a Seeker than you might want to learn to take advantage of that."

"The Leaky Cauldron was attacked," Scorpius blurted out and Nick's smile died in an instant, "your parents and brother are in hospital in critical condition. If you want to see them then you need to pack an overnight bag now, then I'll take you to Varanian's office so you can wait for your sisters because Calderon's taking you there."

"Okay, I want to see them," Nick stated firmly, resembling Abby and Professor Longbottom more with the worried expression on his face as he got up, "wait here, I'll be right back."

Scorpius awkwardly waited for Nick, people were starting to notice the non-Slytherin now. He saw them pointing and muttering, a particularly threatening group of apparent seventh years started advancing on him and he drew his wand for comfort, even if he doubted that he could take them on. Strangely enough they stopped moving and went back to their seats. He scowled just before Nick got back, he now had a jacket on and had a rucksack slung over his shoulder.

"What's with those guys?" Scorpius asked him and nodded at the older boys.

"Well all of Slytherin knows you managed to nearly kill your class, not to mention kicking Kyle's ass on that train and no one has ever kicked Kyle's ass before, there's a lot of talk about you being trained in the Dark Arts by your Death Eater family. Not to mention you're Calderon's assistant, no sane person wants to get on his bad side if they can help it so... yeah," Nick explained and scowled, "why does it matter? My family's in hospital right now, nothing else is more important than family, okay? Just take me to Varanian's office now please."

* * *

_**Thanks to: **Lucifersdaughter and Diddleymaz for reviewing! Also Aya Diefair_


	37. I: Good, Bad and Ugly

_**Author's Note: **In answer to Diddleymaz's question: there's four Longbottoms, Heather (aged 16), Nick (aged 13), Abby (aged 11) and August (aged 9), plus the parents obviously. I always imagined Neville having quite a big family, since he was raised by his grandmother and was an only child I always thought that he'd kinda like to have a family to make up not having much as a child himself. Also since he became a professor who teaches children I thought he's the kind of person who likes children and would want to be a dad so he has four kids_

**_Thanks to: _**_Lucifersdaughter, Aya Diefair and Diddleymaz for reviewing_

* * *

"Been a while since I was in here," Varanian commented as he led the four children into the Gryffindor common rooms, looking around almost nostalgically.

"You were in Gryffindor?" Rose wondered in horror, she didn't want him to have been in the house as her.

"Obviously," Varanian snapped and his hair turned black again, "now girls go pack and boys seriously, be dismissed or you can go back to the forest."

Albus and Michael gave them a last pained look and muttered their wishes that Abby's family would be okay before leaving, Rose went up with Abby to the girl's dormitory. It was empty for which she was grateful, she didn't really feel like explaining anything to the other three girls. Abby had gone quiet as she got changed and packed up quickly, Rose did the same and took the letter out about Varanian with a firm resolve. She wasn't sure whether to keep it in her pocket or put it in the bag in case the headmaster checked either, finally she pocketed it in a hidden pocket on the inside of her jacket as she thought he was less likely to search her person than her luggage. She was glad that Scorpius had reminded her of it, he was alright. For a Malfoy.

Although the letter was just a backup, she intended to tell her mother in person and show her rune on her chest if she wanted proof or point out the fading marks on Calderon's cheeks. Not that she would need to do that, her mother knew that she wouldn't lie about something like that although she wasn't sure how Calderon would react to that. Whether he would back them up or defend Varanian, she didn't know him well enough to make a decision but she thought he was probably afraid of the headmaster and that's why he did nothing, when they told him he might get brave or not. It would help if he would back her up, from a legal standpoint she thought an adult testifying was probably worth all six eleven year olds put together.

"Ready?" Abby asked worriedly and Rose nodded, trying to shake her head of it for now. Abby would be worried about her family rather than that, well she was worried to but she was trying to remain rational as the burden of stopping Varanian fell on her.

They went back downstairs where Varanian, now tawny haired again, was waiting for them and still looking about the common room nostalgically. _E__njoy it while you can because its the very last time you'll be here, today is your last day as headmaster of Hogwarts. We've won. _Rose tried not to smile smugly at that, they weren't quite in the clear yet and Abby's family were still hurt. She'd known Abby and her siblings her whole life, Professor Longbottom was 'Uncle Neville' at home and his wife 'Aunt Hannah,' Rose did hope they'd be okay.

They followed Varanian back through the castle to his office, Rose hadn't actually been there before but she'd heard the gargoyle and entrance described from her family and Scorpius, who'd also told them all the password as being his dead wife's name. The other four weren't there yet and so the girls were alone with the headmaster in the office, the portraits all creepily turned against the wall. Rose supposed it was for the best, she didn't a lot of the old headmaster's would probably approve of what he was doing. She despised Varanian and was sure others would too if they knew. Varanian's hair shifted to black again as they walked over to his desk, he turned back to face them and leaned against it.

"I'm sorry for this," Varanian said quietly as he raised his wand and Rose had one horrified second to react, she couldn't. She couldn't think of what to do. She froze.

There was a white flash and Rose staggered forwards, Varanian caught her and Abby both before they fell. The wave of dizziness passed and they both stepped back, the headmaster looking at them with concern. Rose scowled, she couldn't remember what she'd been thinking of or what had been happening before the flash.

"Are you two alright?" Varanian questioned worriedly, Rose tried to give him a reassuring smile. She was well behaved and hadn't seen much of the headmaster since she'd been at Hogwarts, aside from at meals from a distance, but he seemed such a nice man to worry about them.

"I think so," Abby offered, "just felt a bit dizzy."

"Probably shock, make sure you eat something won't you?"

"We will, I'm sure mum will make sure of that," Rose pointed out and the headmaster nodded gladly.

She heard footsteps and looked back to see the Malfoy and Abby's older brother Nick entering the office, she tried not to stiffen with anger at seeing the Malfoy. She despised him. How he'd landed in Gryffindor she would never know, Malfoys were evil. He constantly beat her at everything, no matter how hard she tried, it was infuriating. She was sure he cheated somehow, being Draco Malfoy's son it seemed likely and maybe even the rumors about him being taught the Dark Arts were true, he had attacked her Charms class after all. She'd been there, she knew she had but for some reason it was difficult to remember it. He was a quiet, weird boy that she stayed away from anyway. Abby and Nick ran to each other, hugging each other tightly. Scorpius came over to stand by to her, she couldn't help but wrinkle her nose in disgust, why couldn't he just stay away from her?

"Do you have it?" the Malfoy whispered to her and she frowned, wondering what in Merlin's name he was talking about. He was probably just trying to annoy her, like she didn't have enough on her mind with her dad and the Longbottom family in hospital. He was such an insensitive jerk.

"Don't talk to me, freak," Rose sneered at him and he looked both confused and strangely hurt by this as he stepped back but thankfully fell silent.

Not five minutes later, Calderon showed up with the sixteen year old Heather who also went over to be hugged by her siblings while the assistant went to stand beside the Malfoy. She looked at them for a moment and felt slightly confused, they both had faded marks on their cheeks. She couldn't remember noticing them before, that was weird but they looked almost fully healed now but she didn't recall the injuries fresher or how they'd got them. She supposed doing something as the Malfoy was his assistant but it didn't matter, the Malfoy suffering was good although she felt bad for the assistant. She'd probably been too busy studying or worrying about her dad to notice, she didn't want to look at the Malfoy anyway although Calderon was handsome, she didn't mind looking at him.

"Take care, Scor," Calderon was saying to the Malfoy and offering him a slight smile.

The Malfoy didn't have time to reply as Varanian was ushering them away from him and to the fire place, he let Rose go first as it was her house they were Flooing to so her mother would know about their plans. Her mother didn't seem surprised in the slightest to see them, or if she did then it didn't show. She just looked worried as Calderon explained Varanian's reasoning and wasted no time in getting them to the hospital.

St Mungo's was packed, the attack had been pretty bad apparently from the looks of things. Aunt Gabrielle - well she wasn't a real aunt but she was Aunt Fleur's sister and an honorary member of the Weasley-Potter clan - met them and started leading them to the Longbottoms, she worked there as a Healer and looked both swamped with work and extremely anxious.

"Hannah and August are stable for now," Aunt Gabrielle told them worriedly as she stopped walking in the midst of a hectic looking ward, Rose spotted the Longbottoms as well as her dad in a further bed with Uncle Harry and Cel hovering by him but came over to them as they were noticed, "but Neville... you might want to say your goodbyes. I'm so sorry, we've done everything we can."

"No," Calderon growled suddenly and Rose glanced back to him, she'd almost completely forgotten he was there, "I'm going to watch anyone die."

He said it so matter-of-factly and his face became a mask of determination, he stood at the foot of Neville's bed even if he was facing down the ward with his back to Rose. He stretched out his arm towards Neville with the flat of his palm facing him, light exploded out from his palm immediately and shot towards Neville. Calderon gritted his teeth and seemed to almost push out with his hand, the intensity of the light increased and Rose watched in amazement as it enveloped Neville and the visible cuts and burns he had on his cheek and hands started to heal before her eyes.

"You shouldn't use magic like that!" her mother snapped, "its dangerous, you could destroy yourself."

"Well I'm mad so it doesn't matter," Calderon answered.

Abruptly Calderon laughed his high-pitched maniacal laughter and threw his hands up into the air, more light exploded out of both his hands, shining tendrils that shot out in all directions across the ward and beyond. Rose had to squint to continue looking at the all consuming light, it seemed to seek out the injured and she watched their visible injuries heal before her was saddened to see that the light seemed to bounce off her dad rather than healing him like the others but it was incredible, she saw people sitting up and looking at themselves in amazement at being healed, tearful family members throwing their arms around them.

Calderon's laugh became a cry of pain, though both were barely audible over the thrum of the magic coming from him. Rose tried to look back to him but the light was shooting out from every part of him in every direction, she couldn't look it was so bright. Rose gasped as some of the light hit her in the chest, there was a momentary jolt of pain before a soothing feeling of warmth and healing flooded her. She didn't know why, she hadn't been hurt in any way, not that she was complaining, it felt good. She noticed that Abby too was being seen to by the light, she didn't think that Abby had been injured either though.

She barely heard Calderon's scream over the sound of magic, another wave seemed to shoot from him and then it was gone. She looked back to Calderon, his arms were lowered and breathing sounded jagged and heavy. He staggered forward and her mother reached out to try to steady him, he grabbed her arm and seemed to be alright as he turned back round to her direction. He looked exhausted and his eyes seemed to be struggling to stay open, he swayed uncertainly on his feet as everyone looked at him in a mixture of amazement and shock still.

"I... I'm going to sleep now," Calderon whispered, barely audibly before he collapsed onto the floor.

* * *

"Feeling guilty?" Varanian questioned and Scorpius looked up to see that he was now alone with the headmaster

"Worried," Scorpius corrected him, "I'm worried about Professor Longbottom and his family."

"Eighteen people have died so far, those inside the Leaky Cauldron and muggles who just happened to be outside a building that they don't understand the significance of. Do you even understand the significance of it? It's the entrance to Diagon Alley, the entrance to the Wizarding world. Do you know how screwed the world would be if muggles found out about our world?"

"I'd imagine it would be bad," Scorpius said awkwardly, not sure what Varanian really expected him to say as the headmaster ushered him over and motioned for him to sit.

"It's the same people who attacked the train, they shot the same symbol into the sky as they set they attacked the innocent people in the pub to get to Neville and then set it alight, blew up the apartment above it where Neville's family lives."

"That's horrible."

"Horrible?" Varanian repeated darkly and as he spoke scars that looked like they were from burns appeared on his neck, the bottom of his chin and the edges of his cheeks, his hands were also afflicted by this and his fingernails were non-existent. Scorpius was suddenly very aware of Calderon had said about Varanian being tortured and burned, he figured Varanian used his Metamorphmagi ability to hide it, "do you have any idea what it feels like to be burned alive? Horrible doesn't do it justice!"

"Well what do you want me to say? I can't do anything."

"Sure, like you didn't know that your grandfather's organization was going to attack Neville! They couldn't get to the school and Marius stopped them on the train so they go after the staff, do you really think Neville deserves to die? He's been nothing but nice to you, despite the fact that you're the evil spawn of Death Eater scum!"

"My grandfather isn't leading the Shadows! And I didn't know and I don't want Professor Longbottom to die!"

"Lies!"

"It's not lies!"

"Yes, yes it is and you know it! I bet your grandfather was personally involved in the attack, how many do you think died by his hand alone?"

"My grandfather wasn't involved! He may not be a particularly good person but he's not one of them!" Scorpius yelled defensively, he knew his grandfather had done bad in the past and he was still upset with him for torturing Calderon but he _knew_ his grandfather wouldn't do anything like that now. Lucius regretted being a Death Eater, he wouldn't want to join another insane group of evil people, let alone lead one, anyone was lying if they said different, "do you understand?! He turned against the Death Eaters and he'd never join another psycho dark cult, he regrets it and so does my dad and they wouldn't do that! I know they wouldn't!"

"Of course you would say that but I know the truth. I know they're after this school and I know you're grandfather is behind it," Varanian sneered and his eyes flashed black again, "take of your shoes and socks."

"Why?!"

"Because I said so."

"But-"

"You could take out your want instead and get expelled," Varanian interruped raising an eyebrow darkly and Scorpius irritably took off his shoes and socks, "now put your feet on the desk."

"Why?!"

"Because I said so! Marius isn't here to give you your detention so I'm giving you your punishment instead so put your feet on the desk or hand over your wand."

Scorpius took a deep breath, reminding himself that Rose would have remembered the letter. In fact, she didn't even need the letter as she could just tell them in person and show the marks from the blood runes if they didn't believe it. They'd be rid of Varanian soon. With that one comforting fact, he confidently leaned back and put his feet onto the desk as Varanian took out his wand with a grim expression.

Scorpius was about to ask what he was going to do when he lashed out with the wand, Scorpius gasped at the shock of pain that cut across the soles of his feet. The same stinging, searing pain that he'd felt before across his cheek. He met Varanian's ice cold eyes.

"You promised Calderon that you wouldn't lay a hand on me again," Scorpius pointed out firmly, not letting the worry show in his voice but Varanian didn't flinch.

"Well since Marius disobeyed me when I told him to watch your grandfather, I don't think I'm obligated to keep my promises."

"That's not a good re-" Scorpius started to say but was cut off as Varanian lashed out again against his unprotected feet. And again. And again. And again.

"Every time you try to talk or question me then I will give you an extra one for every word, on top of the eighteen you're getting for those people who are dead because of your kind."

"You're evil," Scorpius breathed and Varanian struck him again, more forcefully and Scorpius squeezed shut his eyes against the pain as he felt the blood trickling from the wounds on his feet. He _hated_ Varanian.

"_You're_ evil. You deserve this, Scorpius."

* * *

Lucius sat with his head in his hands. The potion had worn off and he was himself again, in his own clothes again. He didn't know where he was though, a different place to where they'd been before. He actually didn't know how much time had passed, Brutus had left him awhile ago and he hadn't looked up since. He didn't really care.

Guilt tore at his insides, he'd done bad things before as a Death Eater but for some reason this got to him. One of them had been a friend of his, one of the few he had left who had helped him get him inside Hogwarts. It had been his granddaughter's third birthday, Lucius had actually sent her a gift as a thank you for her grandfather helping him, she'd been blowing out the candles on a three-tier cake when they'd attacked. Brutus hadn't hesitated to attack the happy family, Lucius had followed suite.

It was surprisingly easy to launch an attack on magical folk, they were too surprised to properly mount a defensive and the few who did Brutus cut down with the killing curse before they could get a spell off, the only exception being Longbottom himself who they'd been trying not to kill although Lucius wasn't sure he'd survived when the fires started. He could still hear the screams.

"You still moping?" Brutus complained and Lucius' head shot up to see the Soul Eater standing before him with a bottle of firewhiskey in his hand, he'd swiped it from the pub as it burned, "when did you get a conscience?"

"When did you lose yours?" Lucius shot back and Brutus took a swig from the bottle, wincing as he did so.

"I didn't. Why do you think I like drinking?"

"You still did it though."

"So did you."

"Are you going to have your soul destroyed if you refuse?"

"No, contrary to popular belief I'm a gray soul like you not a black one like Seraph. The master needs my permission for a Specter to enter me, if I refused anything then I wouldn't turn round and say yes like an idiot. Besides I have a good relationship with the master, my opinion gets taken on-board. The master wanted to take their souls not their lives before I spoke up, you know?"

"Well there's proof that your master's a lunatic, he, she, it or they care about the opinion of a stupid, ugly, alcoholic," Lucius pointed out and Brutus scowled deeply.

"The master is a person and you shouldn't be such a jerk to me, you know?"

"You people own my soul. You intend to rip me apart. Hurt my family if I refuse. What possible reason would I have to be nice to you?"

"Nevermind," Brutus muttered with a sigh and shook his head, taking another few gulps of the firewhiskey.

"What did you want anyway?"

"To make sure that you still had your Specter, there was... an incident at the hospital and the master was worried."

"And you can tell that just by looking at me?"

"It's rare but some people can sense them, I'm one of them. Think its genetic, the master said Atty seemed to have it but he clearly doesn't realize it, its just a weird creepy shivery feeling that makes no sense if you don't know what you're looking for," Brutus explained with a shrug, "worries the master a bit, its an advantage for the Soul Eaters but in the hands of not a Soul Eater."

"So your brother isn't a Soul Eater?" Lucius wondered and felt slightly more relieved that there wasn't a Soul Eater teaching his grandson. That he was aware of anyway.

"No. Not yet anyway, he's going to join us eventually though."

"What if he doesn't?"

"He will!" Brutus snapped angrily and Lucius felt himself smile a cruel smile at the desperation in Brutus' voice, he hoped the Soul Eater never got what he wanted, "if not he'll have to die and he's not dying on me. Same goes for your grandson, you know? Most people who are off-limits are just off-limits because the master has plans for them to join us or other uses, if they don't or they lose their usefulness then they will die."

"Scorpius will never join you!" Lucius shrieked in panic as he jumped to his feet, "leave him alone! I gave my soul to protect him, not have him join your crazy... cult!"

"The master thinks he has great potential," Brutus told with the cruel smirk that Lucius had had a moment ago, "you should be proud and you've already set him on the right path with your beliefs about blood purity, the abuse he suffered at the hands of muggles just reinforces it all in his mind. Not to mention the fact that Malfoys are looked down on in society, the wizarding world hates you. You really think in the end that he'll defend any of those people? He won't, you know he won't."


	38. I: Guy Stuff

Scorpius lay on his side on his bed with the drapes pulled shut. His feet were still searing with pain but it was more bearable, it had been hours ago, it was worse if he walked. It was why he had opted to skip dinner, the thought of walking all the way there and all the way back made him groan inwardly and his frien- allies were nowhere to be found. He just lay there in the silence. Usually his mind would be doing a million things, worries would be surging through his mind and he'd be thinking of what homeworks he had to do. Not this time. There was just silence.

He was only disturbed by the sound of footsteps, they approached him and pulled back the drapes. He wondered why he even bothered closing the damn things. It was Albus and Michael, they both looked worried and gave relieved sighs when they saw him.

"I told you, he'd be here," Albus said to Michael before turning back to him.

"We left dinner early to look for you when you weren't there," Michael explained, "Varanian told us."

"Varanian told you?!" Scorpius wondered in shock, Varanian had told him that if he told anyone - especially Calderon - then he'd regret, he'd sworn on Scorpius' mother's life that he'd regret it.

"Well yeah, he told everyone."

"Why would he do that? He told me not to say anything."

"I guess he thought they should know, that he deserved credit for doing something good," Albus answered and Scorpius felt a mixture of confusion and anger, why would Varanian want 'credit' for hurting him? Was he proud? How could people think it was good? What was wrong with people?!

"How are you doing?" Michael asked gently as Scorpius sat up, careful with the soles of his feet.

"Okay I guess, it hurt a lot at first but once you get used to it then its not as bad."

"I'm sure he'll be okay, I think he's one of those people that are tougher than they look," Albus offered comfortingly and Scorpius was even more confused by the sudden jump in conversation to Professor Longbottom.

"Well yeah, obviously he is," Scorpius said awkwardly, Professor Longbottom had been an Auror so he was stronger than you would think of a Herbology professor, "I hope he'll be okay."

"Yeah, I know how close you are to him."

"Well I'm not _that_ close to him," Scorpius pointed out but he supposed they meant how his detentions got him to know all the staff better than the rest of them, "I'm more worried about how Abby's coping with it."

"Abby barely knows him," Albus said and scowled in confusion, Michael did too and Scorpius looked between them in bewilderment.

"She knows him a lot more than barely, he's her father."

"He's not-" Michael started to say before pausing and clicking his fingers, "oh, you thought we were talking about Professor Longbottom."

"Obviously," Scorpius sighed in agreement, it was an exhausting conversation, "who were you talking about?"

"Calderon."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Scorpius complained with a roll of his eyes, he wasn't in the mood for it and the other two exchanged awkward anxious glances.

"We thought you knew," Albus stated slowly.

"Knew what?!"

"That..." Michael began before sighing worriedly as he fiddled with his hands nervously, "Calderon kinda... well you know how he's always randomly using magic, the way that he does? He healed Professor Longbottom, he healed all the Longbottoms... he healed a lot of people."

"That's good, though right?"

"Yes, very good," Albus interjected with a forced smile that faded, "good for the people he healed anyway."

"In healing them he kinda hurt himself," Michael finally said and Scorpius had a suddenly sick feeling in his stomach, "he's in the hospital, he's really weak and they're not sure..."

Michael trailed off and Scorpius' eyes trailed away, Michael didn't need to finish the sentence and Scorpius was glad he didn't. He stared at a random piece of floor that blurred from tears that refused to leave his eyes, he wiped them away angrily and hung his head, curling his fingers into the edge of the mattress.

"Are you okay?"

"Fine."

"Wait, what were you talking about before then? About being hurt?" Albus spoke up worried and Scorpius' flicked his eyes between them, deciding whether he should tell them or not. He sighed and pulled off one of his socks, showing him the variety of crisscrossing marks on the sole, at least they'd stopped bleeding, "Varanian did that to you!?"

"I'm surprised that you're surprised."

"We have to take you to the hospital wing," Michael pointed out with a deep scowl.

"You know we can't. Besides, depending on when Rose gives over the letter Varanian could be arrested at any minute. We just have to wait for that."

"And in the meantime what? They're nasty."

"I'm fine," Scorpius snapped darkly and Michael rolled his eyes before going over to his own bed and searching through his stuff, "what are you doing?"

"Well since you're being stubborn, I'm going to do what I can for your foot or feet."

Scorpius wanted to protest that it wasn't necessary but thought better of it, he didn't want to start an argument with Michael, the mudblood could be pretty stubborn when he wanted to be. He just waited and tried not to feel awkward while Michael saw to his feet, filling his cauldron with water to wash the wounds first then getting some antiseptic from a first aid kit that he'd brought with him. Albus was just watching in fascination.

"This may sting a little," Michael pointed out before he dabbed gently with a ball of cotton wool soaked in antiseptic, it was an understatement.

"Sting a little?!" Scorpius burst out after a yelp of pain, "it's almost as bad as when I got them!"

"Do you want them to get infected?"

"If this is the alternative than yes!"

"Come on, its not that bad. It's alright now, isn't it?" Michael questioned and Scorpius was forced to concede that the stinging had receded considerably but his scowl remained as Michael continued applying the antiseptic.

"What kind of healing do muggles have?" Albus complained as he shook his head, "its amazing they can survive without magic."

"We have our ways."

"They," Scorpius corrected him, "_they_ have their ways. You're not one of them."

"Gee, you make it sound like there's two different species. We're all human and that's all that matters."

"Sure. I guess."

"Oh come on, you can't still buy into that blood purity crap," Albus said irritably with a frown.

"I don't, I just... am wary of muggles, had some bad experiences with them in the past. They don't seem very good."

"I'm muggle-born," Michael pointed out.

"Yeah but you're magical, if anything I feel bad that you didn't have magic growing up and you had to grow up around them."

"Varanian's a _pure-blood_ and he used _magic_ to hurt you," Albus said slowly, "plus Calderon's muggle-born I think, he dresses like a muggle. Surely you can see that blood purity really has nothing to do with anything, you're smart, Scorpius, you have to see that."

"Calderon's not a muggle-born, he's at least a half-blood," Scorpius informed them, having parents being Death Eaters meant they had to be magical, he felt another pang of worry for the assistant as he thought of him again, "he's mentioned his parents as being magical before, I don't know why he dresses like that. And I can see that, I just... not all muggles are good, just because they don't have magic it doesn't mean that they can't hurt you."

"Like I said," Michael interjected as he finished with the antiseptic and took out some bandages, "we're all human, some humans are good and some humans are bad. It has nothing to do with being magical or not."

"Yeah," Scorpius nodded, he could agree to that as the mudblood continued. Although he still thought muggles were worse and if either of them had been through what he had then they'd agree with him.

Scorpius didn't sleep much or at all that night, Michael may have done all he could for his feet but he could nothing for the pain or for his worries about Calderon. He was awake when Michael got up for Varanian's detention, practically dragging the more sleepy Albus out of bed. To his surprise they were only gone a few minutes before they returned, he felt a bubble of hope that they were finally free of Varanian.

"Do you think Scorpius is awake?" Michael was saying and he heard Albus yawn in reply.

"Damned if I know, I'm going back to sleep."

"Scorpius, are you awake?" Michael asked of him instead and Scorpius immediately sat up pulled back the drapes to see Michael standing there with a handful of papers in his hands, he handed them to Scorpius when he saw him, "here, they're memos for some of the other teachers. Varanian wants you to deliver them when you get up, then go to the Library for your detention. You have to go to the Library for your detention every day unless you hear different."

"So he's not been arrested yet?" Scorpius wondered and couldn't help but feel biting disappointment as Michael shook his head.

"Not yet. He's not feeling well though so we get the day off."

"Well... that's good."

"Yeah... So I'll just leave you to go back to sleep."

Scorpius sighed heavily and put the papers on his bedside table, lying back down but both of them had forgotten to close the drapes. He watched as Michael went back to his own bed, he didn't go back to sleep though. He lay on it fully clothed and took out his wand, holding it above him turning it over and around with an anxious expression. He looked on the verge of tears.

"Are you okay?" Scorpius asked gently and Michael shot him a slightly surprised glance before answering.

"Yeah. Just... feeling a little homesick I guess, with all this stuff with Abby's family and Rose's dad... makes me wonder about my family. I worry about them a lot."

"Why don't you write to them? You don't have to be magical to receive an owl, you don't even have to be magical to hand it a letter to be sent back," Scorpius pointed out, realizing that Michael hadn't got a single letter since he'd arrived.

"My stepdad told me not to. Said if he heard a peep out of me before picking me up in June then I'd have to go home, go home and never go back to magic school."

"That seems kind of harsh."

"Bob is like that," Michael said with a shrug as he wiped his eyes, "mum had to beg him to let me go in the first place, she was so proud once the shock wore off and I can't let her down. I feel like I'm failing her when I always suck at everything, I made a lousy muggle and a worse wizard. I shouldn't be here, not in this house or this school. I'm a coward and a talentless wizard, sometimes I think I am a muggle and Calderon made a mistake, got me confused with someone else."

"Hey, come on, you _know_ you're not a muggle, you're clearly magical and you _can_ do magic. You're just still learning to control it, we're all still learning and you're anything but a coward!" Scorpius offered, trying to sound comforting but Michael still looked miserable, "you know, you stood up for me when no one else did."

"If I was really brave then I would have told my mum that my stepdad was right and not gone to Hogwarts at all, I should have stayed at home so I could take care of my little brothers and sisters and my mum like I'm supposed to. But I didn't, I wanted to be a wizard too even though in the back of my mind I _knew_ that Bob was right. I was too selfish and too much of a coward to admit it. I'm a bad person."

"You're not a bad person!"

"But its true," Michael cried and violently wiped his eyes, "I am bad and selfish, my brothers and sisters aren't magical and they need me to take care of them and if I was really a good person then I wouldn't go and do something that can't because its cruel and I certainly wouldn't just leave them all alone."

"Michael..." Scorpius started to say and bit his lip awkwardly, he really wasn't good at this and he'd had no idea Michael even felt that way, "you've never said any of this before."

"Well I didn't want to bother any of you, everyone has enough going on without being bored by my stupid problems."

"This friendship thing works both ways, you know? You help us and we help you and everyone helps each other," Scorpius pointed out and to his surprise Michael smiled slightly, "what?"

"That's the first time you've actually called us friends."

"Well... we are. Just you know, don't tell Albus and Rose that I think that. And I'm not friends with bad people so you're not... bad."

"Thanks... You know, for listening."

"Anytime."

Scorpius must have slept a bit after that because the next time he opened his eyes, he was greeted by sunlight streaming through the window. Usually the drapes covered it, it was the first time he'd woken up to see the light coming through the window. The first thought that popped into his mind was that it was a shame that Hufflepuff had booked the pitch because it was more pleasant weather to practice in, the second thought was that his feet were still searing painfully. He hoped Calderon was alright. He saw Michael was awake and reading one of the Potions textbooks.

Scorpius closed the drapes so he could get dressed in privacy, being careful of his feet although the task of having to walk places still filled him with dread. When he was dressed, he opened all the drapes so he could see the whole room and not just Michael. Reuben and Angelo were gone - probably to breakfast - while Albus was still bundled up in bed, sound asleep.

"Morning," Michael greeted him, "careful on your feet."

"I will be as careful as I can while I deliver this memos and go do detention in the Library," Scorpius said with a sigh and Michael looked sympathetic as Scorpius scooped up the memos, "unfortunately, that seems like a lot of walking. Catch up with you later."

"Good luck."

Scorpius managed not to cringe at the pain until he was out of the dormitory, with every step the wounds on his feet screamed in protest but it was bearable, at least more than it had been yesterday. He was still cursing Varanian's name under his breath while he went around with the memos, taking the opportunity to ask the teachers for news on Calderon. Annoyingly they didn't seem to know much though, there'd been no word since yesterday although Professor McGonagall was visiting him.

He went to the great hall after to grab some slices of toast to eat as he walked to the Library, Calderon's sporadic eating habits had taught him to eat on the move and when he had time because you never knew when you'd have time to sit and eat a meal. Well that was how it was for Calderon anyway, Scorpius had much more normal time to eat except on weekends and sometimes the afternoon.

He didn't mind working in the Library, the old Librarian was a tad scatterbrained but friendly enough to Scorpius and he liked the quiet. Usually they just sat quietly at the desk together unless the Librarian was doing something or dealing with people being loud or misbehaving, or obviously when someone was checking a book in or out, in which case Scorpius would put them back. Sometimes they talked, or played Wizard chess to pass the time, or read -the Librarian was always encouraging him to read- and sometimes he was even allowed to work on his homework if things were quiet enough. That day was especially busy though, Scorpius was up and down a lot more than his injured feet liked very much.

Victoire Weasley came in after awhile, the girl was an exceptionally blue-eyed beautiful blond but apparently 'a demon with a bat' as she had been Gryffindor's star Beater for the previous four years before quitting to focus on her NEWTs. Scorpius hadn't said two words to her but he felt kinda bad for her, whenever he saw her he saw guys hitting on her and she would always frustratedly tell them that she had a boyfriend and wasn't interested. It didn't stop them trying though, Scorpius thought they should be more respectful to her. She came back with a stack of books to check in and went to get more to check out immediately, Scorpius was left to put them all away. It was as he went to put them away that he spied Albus and Michael sitting at a table with their books out, Michael saw him and waved him over.

"Hey Scorpius," Albus said brightly, "how's it going?"

"Okay I guess, my feet hurt," Scorpius answered with a shrug and Albus' smile wavered slightly, "is that our Transfiguration homework?"

"Yes it is... Don't suppose you know what year the trexus spell was first attempted?"

"1438. Professor McGonagall told us that last week."

"Well I can't remember stuff from that long ago, I mean why teach us it last week if its needed for our homework this week?"

"Probably because we're not goldfish," Michael pointed out with a sudden look of mock shock, "you're not secretly a goldfish are you?"

"No!" Albus protested and Michael's cheerful teasing smile returned, "why are we always studying anyway? Why don't we blow it off and do something fun while the girls - especially study-mad Rose - are away? Take our minds off things."

"Because we don't want to fail all our classes?" Scorpius wondered slowly.

"Ah, so there is a reason for things. Shocking," Michael commented leaning back and Albus scowled.

"Okay fine so we have to study but we could still... do something different now its just us like... talk about guy stuff, things we couldn't talk about with Rose and Abby here," Albus said and Michael raised an eyebrow.

"Guy stuff? Like what?"

"Um... I don't know... erm... Ah, we can talk about girls we have crushes on."

"Okay. Are there any girls you have a crush on?" Michael questioned and Albus gave him a look of intense concentration before seeming to give up.

"Well no, not really... Are there any girls you have a crush on?"

"Nope."

"What about you, Scorpius?"

"No," Scorpius scoffed, he couldn't imagine having a crush on anyone like all those crazy lovestruck older students. Besides, no girl could be as great as Molly.

"Glad we could have this conversation," Michael stated going back to his homework, "can we go back to work now?"

"Fine," Albus grumbled with a sigh, "can you get the Librarian to let you come join us at least, Scorpius?"

"Maybe when we're not so slammed," Scorpius pointed out and held up the stack of books higher, they nodded in understanding, "fingers-crossed."

Scorpius went back to putting away the books, annoyingly they were very scattered and two of them were from the Restricted Section, he saved those until last. Only sixth and seventh years were allowed in the Restricted Section usually, younger years were only allowed with signed permission from a teacher but Scorpius was allowed while he was carrying out his detention in the Library.

He liked the Restricted Section, mostly because it was deserted and partly because he thought it was interesting seeing what titles of the books that were classed as Restricted and trying to guess what potentially dangerous magic they held. He put the first book back easily but the second one was from a much higher shelf, he had to use the ladder to climb up to the shelf, wincing at the pain it caused his feet. He popped it back into place and took the opportunity to look at the nearby titles, as he usually did but his attention was caught by a particular shelf where the titles on the spines were all in runic script.

His mind darkly turned to the blood runes and he pulled the nearest one out to thumb through it, the entire thing seemed to be in runic and he had no idea what it meant, let alone if it was about blood runes. He tried the second one with just as little understanding. And the third. And the fourth. He was about to give up when he picked up the fifth one, a much smaller book wedged between the two toppled over slightly so he could see the cover. Above the faded gold runic letters was a huge runic arrow, _exactly_ like the one on the discs.

He took that one instead, it also seemed to only be in runic but looked handwritten and had diagrams that also looked hand-drawn. Diagrams that seed to confirm his suspicions on what the book was about, the very first one he came across was of one of the blood sucking discs. He flipped through more of the pages and found a second diagram that looked like the obelisk, over the following pages there were more of it from different angles and on the pedestal pit, including one with someone's hand on it. He flicked through some more pages and found what he guessed was the orb that Professor Ashain had mentioned, held in the palm of someone's hand, it was probably not too much smaller than the size of a golf ball. In fact they had it three more times over the next few pages, all in different colors. The first white, the second black and the third was gray. He wished fervently that he could understand runes.

He hovered there, debating whether or not he should take the book and try find some way or someone to translate it for him before he heard the Librarian calling for him. He turned just in time to see the Librarian entering his section with a stack more books for Scorpius to put away, he hastily shoved the blood rune book back and went to go back to work. He would have a think about it and come back later.

* * *

_**Thanks to: **Lucifersdaughter and Diddleymaz for reviewing!_


	39. I: Too Far

Things did slow down eventually in the Library and Scorpius was allowed to work on his homework with his friends, he was glad he had so much, he liked the distraction. He didn't tell them about the blood rune book, he still hadn't told them about the obelisk and he thought it was best to wait for Rose and Abby to get back or he'd just end up explaining it all again. Besides as soon as Varanian got arrested it wouldn't matter anymore, he still found himself thinking about it though whenever his mind strayed from the work.

They finally packed up so they'd have time to put their books back before heading to dinner, they had just started to head down the grand staircase when Scorpius say James and his friends coming up the stairs. James also seemed to notice him and smirked, drawing his wand.

"Hey Malfoy!" James called loudly as the trio paused, "heard about what happened to your great protector, not so great now is he? Half-dead in a hospital bed."

"Shut up!" Scorpius snarled as fury seethed inside his soul and James' friends whooped with laughter that their taunt had got to him, his wand was in his hand before he knew it.

"No, don't engage him," Michael hissed in his ear and grabbed his arm back, "you'll get in trouble with Varanian."

"That's right, listen to your boyfriend," James said tauntingly, "don't be so psycho, psycho. Guess that's why you get along with Calderon, you're both mad."

"James, come on. Back off, please," Albus pleaded but if anything James' grin widened, people were giving them a wide berth.

"Sorry my traitor-y brother but I've been waiting so long for this. Eat fire, Malfoy!"

James yelled the last and everything suddenly seemed to be in slow motion as he lashed out with his wand, a burst of magic shot towards him. Scorpius tried to raise his wand to fight back, regardless of what trouble he'd be in, he wasn't going to just stand around and _let_ himself be hurt again. He was sick of being a victim. But Michael was still holding his wrist to his side, as he tried to raise his arm, Michael both held him back and shoved him to the side. Scorpius started to fall and tried to stop his fall as the blast of magic shot into Michael instead, the mudblood was thrown violently back.

Fury blazed through him and Scorpius was on his feet in an instant, he snatched his wand up with his left hand and aimed it at the laughing James. His scarred wrist seared with pain and for an instant, he almost thought he saw fire wrapping itself around his wrist before shooting through his hand and wand. Magic erupted from the end of his wand and launched towards James, he saw the smile fade for a split second before the gray light pierced him. The bully was flung back, over the heads of his friends and slammed into the wall behind before dropping like a rag doll onto the ground.

Scorpius was breathing heavily, he was _so_ angry. He knew people were staring but he wasn't looking at them, he tried to force away his anger as he glanced to Michael. Albus was helping him to his feet, Michael was doubled over in pain, he looked like he was going to be sick. And then he was, but instead of vomit, fire came out of his mouth and scorched the stone steps. Albus' eyes widened in horror.

"Why would you do that?!" Albus yelled at his brother, James' friends were also helping him to his feet.

"Well Calderon likes dragons, doesn't he? Thought it would be funny," James answered before laughing as Michael fell to his knees and spat out fire again, "and it is! And is that really all you got, psycho? I'm not scared of you! You're just weak and pathe-"

"_Wingardium Leviosa!_"

Scorpius' spell interrupted the end of James' sentence as he flung his arm to the left and James' body followed the movement of the wand so that he was dangling in the air, dangling in the center of he grand staircase at its highest point. He heard the horrified gasps of those around him but he didn't care.

"You want me to be psycho then I'll be psycho!" Scorpius screamed, his wrist was trembling and James looked terrified, "think its funny now!? Think its funny to curse Michael now?! Think its funny to insult Calderon now?! Think its funny to trip people up on the stairs?! To pick on them?! Do you?!"

"Don't drop me," James begged and Scorpius jerked his wrist, James' body jolted and the older boy burst into tears, "please, please, please... I don't want to die... why is no one helping me?!"

"Do you think I'm weak now?! DO YOU!?"

"Scorpius please, calm down," Albus pleaded and Scorpius spared the horrified boy now beside him a glance, "think about this, please. If you drop him this time then... you don't want to be a murderer, do you? It's not what Calderon would want. He's my brother... please, you made your point."

Scorpius wished he could say that he wasn't already a murderer, that he didn't care what Calderon would want because he wasn't there and he was probably going to die like his sister had. He slammed his wrist back to the right and James rolled back onto the steps, not exactly a gentle landing but he was safe and Scorpius wasn't used to using his left for spells anyway. His wrist was still searing with burning pain_... _

_His wrist was in agony, he felt like it was on fire. He wanted to scream but his mouth wouldn't obey him, his lungs wouldn't even draw the breath for him. The pain was excruciating, it just kept searing. He wanted to cry but his eyes wouldn't obey him, his tears wouldn't even form. It hurt so much and he didn't know why. He tried to move but his body refused to even twitch, he thought he was lying on his front but the last thing he remembered was starting to pass out after Marvin had given him the drink. What was wrong with him? His wrist just burned._

_"Why are you doing that to the kid again?" a man's voice asked, Scorpius recognized it... Marvin._

_"Don't question the master!" a second male voice snapped, Scorpius didn't recognize that one._

_"So I'm not allowed to be curious?" Marvin complained. _

_"You know the deal, you agreed to it and you know enough so don't question the master," the second voice growled and the pain in his wrist stopped, or at least dulled to being bearable.  
_

_"Fine," Marvin said sulkily and Scorpius tried to open his eyes, he fought his open eyelids and tried to force them to open. It was so hard but he wanted to see. He wanted to know. He wanted his mum and dad, where were they?_

_"There, its done. Hold up your end of the deal and we'll hold up ours."_

_"I understand, I'm not an idiot."_

_"Good."_

_He finally succeeded, his eyes opened just a crack. He was a different room, it was night and he was on his front, he thought he was probably on a bed. He saw Marvin, standing with his arms folded staring at the dark corner. There was no one else though, he was just alone with the shadows. Scorpius wanted to frown but his face refused to budge, it was hard enough just keeping his eyes open, just staying awake. He must have been dreaming._

_"Hey, look who's awake," Marvin said and seemed to notice him, the muggle walked over to him and sat on the edge of the bed beside him, Scorpius felt the man's fingers running through his hair gently. _

_Scorpius wanted to ask what was happening, how he'd got from the kitchen to wherever he was, was he sick? Had Marvin brought him here because he didn't know where he was or where he came from? Was he still in the house? Or was he somewhere else, a muggle hospital maybe? He didn't want to be sick, he wanted to go home or at least back to where he was staying. Why did he have to get lost? His mouth refused to even consider making words, Marvin was looking at him with his stoic emerald eyes as his fingers got rougher, his nails dragged painfully into Scorpius' scalp but he couldn't stay awake another second longer._

"Stay away from me," Scorpius said quietly to James but the older boy scrambled to his feet and bolted with his friends racing after him regardless, "we need to get Michael to the hospital wing."

For once there was no argument as Albus nodded, looking at him with a strange expression with his emerald eyes and Scorpius shivered, hoping he didn't look as shaken as he felt. Sometimes he really wished that Albus had different color eyes. His anger was extinguished. He'd practically forgotten about his weird dream, the pain had felt so real though. He tried to ignore it as much as he tried to ignore the looks he was getting. He cursed himself mentally, what he gone and done now? He sighed miserably and went to Michael's other side, his friend had fallen to his knees and continued to clutch his stomach and vomit fire. Real actual fire.

They helped the small boy to his shaky feet, people were giving him an even wider berth now and the portraits were calling out their panic in case the fire reached them. They had to urge Michael to walk, they couldn't try to help him as he continued to clutch at his stomach with both hands. Michael was shaking badly and kept his head hung as they walked though the castle, every few minutes fire continued to shoot out from his mouth and scorch the stone or walls and once set a tapestry on fire, Scorpius had to try a spell he'd seen in one of the textbooks to try and put it out, thankfully it worked.

The journey still seemed to take forever though, he thought it probably felt so much longer to Michael. He was worried and guilty, the spell had been _meant_ for him. He should be the one throwing up fire, not Michael. Michael was an idiot to get in the way of a spell meant for Scorpius, why did he have to be so stupid? Didn't he see that he could get hurt? Hadn't Scorpius warned him not to protect him?

They finally reached the hospital wing and Madam Pomfrey started to come over to them as Michael started to spit fire, they violently waved at her to get out of the way and she looked momentarily shocked before she jumped into action. She managed to get him onto a bed before he threw up fire again, the bed opposite caught fire and Scorpius immediately put it out with the spell. She nodded her thanks and conjured a steel bucket with water in it for him for to fire into rather than the furniture while she rushed away.

Michael sat on the bed with the bucket that looked nearly twice as wide as he was, he had his hands gripping the sides and his head bowed into it. He was still shaking and Scorpius noticed for the first time that his cheeks were stained with tears, or possibly his eyes had just been watering. He and Albus just sat awkwardly either side, not sure what to do and wishing Madam Pomfrey would hurry up.

"Here Michael," Madam Pomfrey said finally and gently as she came back with some vials of potions, handing him the first one to down, "these should shield your throat and mouth from the flames, these others are to try settle your stomach. I think it'll lessen it but we'll just have to wait until it passes I'm afraid."

"You can't make it stop?" Albus whispered looking anxious as Michael threw up more fire before he could take any more of the potions.

"G-G-Guess wi-wizard med-medical s-sucks t-t-too," Michael spoke up in a cracked, rasping voice with a smile that couldn't have looked more forced before he downed the second potion, Albus laughed nervously.

"Guess you're right there."

"Don't try to talk," Madam Pomfrey announced firmly and Michael's smile died as he nodded, hurriedly going back to the bucket as more fire came up. Albus looked down guiltily, "you two that aren't spitting up fire, what happened?"

"It was my brother," Albus told her without hesitation, Scorpius was surprised and from the look of surprise on Albus' face he hadn't meant to either but it was too late to take it back. If possible, Albus looked even more guilty.

"He said eat fire and waved his wand and... this happened," Scorpius finished for him and Albus nodded miserably, "it was meant for me though."

"I'll see what else I can dig up, you don't see this every day," Madam Pomfrey said slowly, leaving the potions by Michael's bedside while she left again.

"I'm sorry," Albus apologized still looking down, "its all my fault, he's my brother."

"That doesn't make it your fault," Scorpius told him firmly, "he was attacking me, its my fault."

"No its my fault."

"No its mine."

"You nearly killed my brother, that was your fault. Michael getting hurt is mine, that way we're both at fault."

"Sh-Shut u-up b-b-both of y-you," Michael interrupted and spared a pained glare for each, "i-if its an-anyone's... m-my f-f-fault."

"She said not to talk."

"Th-Th-Then st-stop ar-arguing," Michael told them weakly and Scorpius felt even more guilty -and from the look on Albus' face, he seemed to feel the same- as Michael threw up more fire. Arguing over who was to blame wasn't going to help Michael.

For awhile they just sat with him in silence, except the sound of Michael throwing up fire and Madam Pomfrey's occasional comments. Scorpius didn't know what to say and Albus didn't seem to know either, he wasn't sure if it was even polite to talk when Michael couldn't although he supposed you could talk to him rather than over him like that they had been when they were arguing and that would be okay. They still said nothing though. They were there though, the thought of leaving his friend alone to suffer hadn't crossed Scorpius' mind the entire time and he had a feeling Albus felt the same.

His wrist was still hurting, even though the pain was receding and he decided to take a look at it. It looked even more livid than before, more raised and around the middle one here were bits of purple as if from infection or a bruise or something. It was odd. The sound of footsteps was what drew his attention away eventually, it was Professor McGonagall and James.

"How's Calderon?" Scorpius asked before he could stop himself and surprise cracked the professor's stern expression momentarily.

"He's very weak but in good spirits when he is conscious and wants to come home, I think he'll be okay though," Professor McGonagall told him and he sighed with relief, that was something at least, "I think you should be more worried about yourself right now, from what James says."

"Did he tell you that he did that to Michael?" Albus wondered and pointed his thumb at Michael as he threw up more fire, the professor cringed but James didn't show a hint of remorse.

"No, he didn't."

"I was aiming for him," James said and gestured to Scorpius before Michael threw up a particularly violent burst of fire.

"That doesn't make it okay. Both of you with me to see the headmaster then."

"What?! But he nearly killed me! He's insane!"

"That's why he's coming as well and it doesn't give you the right to insult him."

"Do I have to?" Scorpius wondered and the newcomers look angered by this, "I mean I know I have to but can't it wait, I don't want to leave him."

"Al will still be here so its fine," James snapped, "you're not getting out of this, Malfoy, Varanian will have your wand for this."

"The decision lies with the headmaster and the headmaster alone, its not up to you, Mr Potter," Professor McGonagall chided him and James shot her a dark look, "now come on."

"Good luck," Albus whispered as he went back to staring guilty at the ground.

"Thanks a lot, bro," James sneered to Albus before they left.

Scorpius couldn't help but feel like he was walking to his execution as he followed the professor through the castle, he hung his head miserably. Every step still hurt his battered feet, every step was a reminder of what Varanian was capable of and with every step his sense of dread only increased.

He didn't have to close his eyes to remember how much it hurt to get the welts on his feet, he didn't have to close his eyes to remember how much it had hurt when James and friends had attacked him and the Gryffindors had just watched, he didn't even have to close his eyes to remember how everything Marvin had done to him hurt. He thought of Marvin again, he could practically feel the barrel of the gun against the back of his skull as he walked, he felt just as trapped and hopeless.

His clenched his fists. He _hated_ it. He hated that he had so memories of being hurt, he hated that he just let it happen. He _was_ a wizard and he had talent, he was capable. Before he'd even stepped foot in the castle he'd killed a man in self defense, defended Molly from more experienced, more advanced wizards and fought off whatever had been trying to drown him in the lake. He wasn't weak when he chose not to be. He had to stand up for himself because no one else would, being abducted had taught him that no one was going to come magically save you, sometimes you had to save yourself. At the end of the day, you were just alone in the dark and you could fight it or let it destroy you. He would fight.

If Varanian expelled him then he wouldn't rest until the headmaster was rotting in a filthy, dark, disease-ridden cell smaller than Calderon's room where he belonged for the things he'd done. If Varanian tried to hurt him again then he would fight until his dying breath.

It wasn't what he expected when he got to Varanian's office though. Varanian was in his chair, his eyes closed and his head rested on his hand with a pained expression on his face. His hair was short, messy and tawny again and his scars were visible. He looked exhausted and seemed unusually weak and fragile, he didn't seem to notice that they were there until Professor McGonagall cleared her throat. His eyes flicked weakly open and for a brief moment the scars vanished but returned, Scorpius supposed he lacked the concentration or strength to keep it up. He wasn't quite sure how the ability worked. He wondered if that was what Varanian really looked like then.

If Professor McGonagall noticed he seemed out of sorts -or didn't care, or it was normal for him to be like this in private then- then she didn't show it as she told him about what she knew of what happened but left the details for them to explain. James eagerly spoke up first and launched into an explanation that made it sound like he'd been walking along innocently before Scorpius had brutally attacked him, he added the bit with Michael as an afterthought and made it sound like it was in self defense. Varanian still didn't move as he listened or give any kind of reaction before calmly asking Scorpius for his side of the side. Scorpius stuck to the truth, both of them had been at fault and he didn't try to shy away from his own part in it.

"Alright," Varanian said tiredly, "Minerva, if you would see to it to give... Mr Porter? A suitable punishment and I will see to Scorpius alone."

"Is he going to be expelled?" James asked hopefully.

"Go now," Varanian growled, that sounded much more like himself. Although Professor McGonagall seemed reluctant to leave him alone but finally led James away, James protesting that he didn't deserve to be punished as he went. Varanian waited until they were completely gone before lowering his hand and speaking again, "sit down."

Scorpius didn't move. Expecting Varanian was going to hurt him again, his hand closed around his wand in his pocket protectively, ready to use it. Varanian didn't even look angry, just sighed heavily and closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again.

"Or not then. I went too far with you yesterday, I shouldn't have done that and I... I regret that I did that. Regardless of who you are. Marius may be right, anger is the worst," Varanian said in an unusually civil tone, "I think you went too far with Mr Porcher too and I think you know that."

"Yes, I do."

"Then I think you've been punished enough, you're already in detentions for a year anyway. You may go."

"That's all?" Scorpius wondered in amazement, the headmaster really wasn't acting like himself and Varanian started to not before stopping himself and rubbing his temple, "are you alright?"

"No. Now go already."

* * *

_**Author's Note: **Thanks to Diddleymaz for reviewing!_


	40. I: Obsessing

Scorpius left Varanian's office quickly but started to wonder if he should have done something, clearly _something_ was wrong with Varanian even though he didn't know what. Professor McGonagall hadn't seemed worried, then again she didn't seem to like the headmaster particularly much. He went back to the hospital wing and both boys as well as Madam Pomfrey seemed surprised to see him, it made him nervous, did everyone secretly hope and want for him to be expelled behind his back?

"What happened?" Albus asked curiously with a worried expression as Scorpius came and sat back down with the pair, "did Varanian... y'know? Did he hurt my brother too?"

"No, told Professor McGonagall to give him a detention so they left..." Scorpius said and paused while Michael vomited up more fire, "then he said that he'd gone too far yesterday and he regretted that he did that, said he thought I knew I'd gone too far too and that as long as I knew that then I'd been punished enough, already having detentions for a year and stuff. He seemed... I don't know, hurt or ill or something though. He told me to go but I don't know if I should've done something, even though he's evil I mean... its not right to ignore someone's pain."

"Urgh, if he's suffering then good," Albus grumbled crossing his arms firmly, "if anyone deserves it then its him. Besides if you'd stayed then he might have changed his mind about you, just because he'd in a weirdly human mood today... it doesn't change anything. He'll be arrested soon anyway, you'd think since Calderon healed everyone that she would have given the letter over already."

"Did Varanian seem okay this morning? Maybe they're... I don't know, investigating or something? I'm not sure how it works. Or maybe they're just too preoccupied with the attack on the Leaky Cauldron, don't have anyone to spare for Varanian at the moment."

"No! I don't know about your parents but mine put our safety above everything, so do Rose's, they wouldn't rest if they knew we were hurt or in trouble," Albus snapped defensively as Michael spat out more fire, Scorpius was struck with sadness as he thought of his abduction, had his family rested? Had they tried to save him? "And I don't remember about this morning, I was half asleep on my feet."

"Okay."

Scorpius didn't know what else to say and he didn't feel like talking anymore anyway. They stayed with Michael for awhile in continued awkward silence, only leaving when Madam Pomfrey chased them off to bed. He seemed to be getting even more weird looks than normal from people as they walked in silence back to the dormitory, the entire common room went silent as they entered and Scorpius saw James storming over to them with a furious expression.

"Why aren't you expelled?!" James demanded immediately.

"Varanian thought being in detentions for a year was enough punishment," Scorpius offered, it was as close as he dared say but James looked even more livid.

"Bloody teacher's pet, get whatever you want," James sneered glaring at him venomously, "just wait til my father hears of this."

"I'm not afraid of your father, or you," Scorpius said as calmly as he could manage, he couldn't let James get to him again, "so if you could get out of my way so I could go to bed."

For a moment he didn't think that James would move, the older boys knuckles were white as he clenched them violently but seemed to think better of it as he stepped aside so they could get by. He thought he heard James snarl something that sounded like 'traitor' to Albus as they passed and continued on up, their eyes burning into the back of Scorpius' skull as he went.

Reuben and Angelo were laughing and playing a game of exploding snap as they entered, they stopped the second they saw Scorpius. He went over to his bed quickly and sat on the edge, they seemed to return to the game and he just stared at the ground listening. He couldn't help but feel a bit envious, he wished that he could just relax and play games with his friends like he and Yip used to. To not have the weight of worries on your shoulders, to not have to live with the pain of your past.

"Remember when things were that simple for us?" Albus said quietly, clearly on the same train of thought as Scorpius as he glanced as his friend and saw him sitting on his own bed opposite.

"That was such a long time ago now," Scorpius whispered sorrowfully and Albus frowned slightly.

"Do you think a month and a half is such a long time or were you just that miserable at home?"

"It's complicated."

"My cousin, Vic, says that when someone says that it means that actually its quite simply but they don't want to talk about it."

Scorpius just shrugged and Albus just sighed again before muttered his goodnight and closed all the drapes. It wasn't like he was deliberately keeping things from Albus just for the hell of it, it was hard to talk about it and he tried so hard to bury his past so far into the back of his mind that it couldn't touch him and he didn't want to deliberately dig it up. He didn't want his friends to know anyway, they'd think less of him. He knew they would, just like his family did. He rubbed his wrist as he thought of it, at least it had stopped hurting, even if the strangeness about it remained. He half-thought he should tell someone but decided against it, he couldn't bear the risk that they'd ask how he'd got it. It had been caused by muggles after all, it wasn't like it could be anything serious. His feet were still killing him though. He just sighed and clambered into bed, drifting in and out of an uneasy sleep.

In the morning they visited Michael briefly before heading to breakfast, he looked exhausted but apparently he'd been up all night still throwing up fire, James' curse was pretty nasty. He was as surprised as Albus to see Rose had returned and was waving them over to sit by her, dressed promptly and neatly in her robes like she hadn't been gone at all. He didn't see Abby though. He didn't see Varanian either.

"Hey stranger," Albus greeted his cousin as she rose to give him a quick hug, she gave Scorpius a nod of acknowledgement before the trio sat back down and he asked in a more hushed tone, "so... news?"

"It was amazing," Rose breathed immediately, "you should have seen Calderon, they said that things didn't look good for Uncle Neville and then he healed him, he healed so many people. Light kinda erupted out of his hands and from him and it was everywhere and everyone was healing, he healed the scar from Varanian's detention even. Not dad though, the magic kinda bounced off him but Uncle Neville, Aunt Hannah and August are all okay now. He's taking some time off work for a bit though and the others from school, just to spend some together as a family since they nearly lost each other and to all rebuild the Leaky Cauldron because it... the damage was pretty bad."

"How's Calderon?" Scorpius asked eagerly but she just shrugged.

"I don't know, he kinda collapsed when it was over and I haven't really seen him since. Uncle Neville visited him but I didn't ask how he was doing. I'm not close to him like you are, Scorpius. Mum said that he was lucky to be alive, there's a reason witches and wizards use wands and its not just because its a lot more difficult."

"Okay... did they arrest Varanian?"

"No," Rose said and looked suddenly sadder as she sighed heavily, he and Albus exchanged a confused look, "he altered our memories. I didn't remember anything about what he did to any of us, I barely even remembered Scorpius. It was only when I got back that I remembered, mum didn't want me to miss classes while dad was still unconcious. I'm pretty sure that he did the same to Abby. I'm sorry, I didn't remember, I couldn't stop him."

"That bastard," Albus muttered and slammed his fist onto the table.

"Yeah."

"Did he seem okay to you?" Scorpius wondered and Rose blinked in surprise.

"No, actually he looked ill or something. So what did I miss?"

Albus and Scorpius looked between each other before Albus finally started to tell her about what happened with James, Rose didn't seem to be able to make up her mind whether to be angry at Scorpius, angry at James or worried about Michael more and it dawned on him that it was probably how Albus was feeling. It must be difficult, he realized, when your friend had attacked your brother and your brother had attacked your friend, a bit like how his grandfather had tortured Calderon as he cared about both of them.

They still sat around with him in classes though, it seemed strangely empty in class without Michael or Abby. They always took turns by each other and always tried to sit near each other, or at least in a two and a three so that no one was alone, there was almost a silent unspoken rota of who sat where with who and it was completely out of whack with just the three of them. He was glad for Albus and Rose but he found himself missing the others, it felt weird to go all day without answering a single magical question for Michael or not once hearing the subtle scribble of his constant writing down of notes. It seemed quieter without Michael, he was the one who always managed to draw them into conversations and out of their worries. It was even worse to think of him doubled over in pain and throwing up fire, _actual fire_, rather than being there, at least Abby had her family and was free of Varanian's detention. The headmaster's memory alteration worried him to no end, they couldn't stop him if they couldn't even remember what he'd done.

He wanted to visit Michael after class but he had Quidditch practice and detention, although Varanian showed up to tell Albus and Rose that they didn't have to do the blood runes. He still looked like a wreck, like he was going to pass out at any moment but the cousins didn't seem to care for being free for another day. Scorpius was confused as to why being ill seemed to be making him nicer, it made no sense. Quidditch practice was the most awkward that it had ever been, Captain Cole and Molly were the only ones who weren't eying him worriedly at the start and he made Scorpius and James shake hands before they'd begin.

"Whatever's going on in your personal lives with each other, it stays on the ground," Cole said firmly, "you can be the bitterest enemies in your own time but in Quidditch time you're a team, _my team_ and in the air you are the same side. So shake."

Scorpius offered his free hand, which happened to be his left as he held his broom in the other and James snarled as he clasped him with his much larger hand. He squeezed so hard that it was painful for Scorpius before he noticed a spark from his wrist and James yanked his hand away as if burned, glaring at him ever the more but Cole was satisfied and they began. He was especially glad to fly, there was no pressure on his battered feet while he was in the blissfully kind air. The others seemed to come around as the practice wore on and by the time they landed, it was as if the tension had evaporated and everything was normal again. He gave Molly and Cole credit for that, Cole for his unbiased leadership in the air and Molly for treating him normally. She was a star.

"Thanks," Scorpius told her as they headed back to the castle together, "most people are looking at me like I'm the reincarnation of You-Know-Who."

"Well I know you, you're not cruel or evil. You were just defending your friend and lost your temper a bit by the sounds of it, I don't blame you, I mean I'd be pretty pissed off if someone attacked someone I cared about," Molly said with a shrug and am infectious smile that he couldn't help but return, "its not like you killed him or anything, people have a habit of overreacting. You know that for awhile everyone thought my Uncle Harry was the Heir of Slytherin just because he spoke Parseltongue?"

"Really? I had no idea Harry Potter was a Parselmouth."

"He's not anymore... not since You-Know-Who was defeated. Calderon's a Parselmouth, y'know?"

"He is?!"

"Yep! I heard it before but I didn't believe it until I saw it," Molly said nodding furiously, "in Transfiguration we were turning ropes into snakes and Professor McGonagall had him assist with the class, never knew why until Billy's rope-snake went to attack him but Calderon hissed at it and it backed off. He said that the snake had said that it - she, he called it - didn't appreciate being part rope but it would agree to back off despite it's discomfort."

"I had no idea," Scorpius admitted but then he supposed that due to the association with Dark wizards, Calderon wouldn't want to broadcast his ability considering his Death Eater parents, "I wonder what its like being able to talk to snakes, or animals in general really."

"Yeah, sometimes I would love to know what Hopper is thinking!"

"Yeah! Or Free."

"Or Jynx... This cat that belongs to a girl in my dorm, it always - _always_ - chooses mt bed post to scratch at."

"Or the Giant Squid in the lake, it saved my life," Scorpius offered and Molly's eyes bulged with shock, it took him a moment to realize that he hadn't actually told her - or anyone - about it saving him from nearly drowning, "sorry, thought I'd mentioned that."

"No, you didn't mention nearly dying. That's kind of a big deal."

"Well it seems to happen to me a lot recently, with the train and the lake and... I guess I didn't have the easiest first day at Hogwarts."

"No you really didn't. I don't think anyone's actually managed to miss their own sorting before, I've heard one kid fell in once but the squid put him back in the boat and he still made the sorting. Aside from nearly dying you didn't miss much, in fact you didn't have to anxiously wait and panic about what house you'd be like every other first year does."

"I'd have had a good reason to panic," Scorpius said with a sigh, "I never expected to be in Gryffindor. Maybe it was because I missed the sorting that the hat made a mistake and put me here."

"You don't _still_ think the hat made a mistake, do you?"

"Well yeah, I'm still in Gryffindor and I don't belong here. Although I saw the Slytherin common room when I was getting Nick and I got the feeling that I wouldn't belong there either. I don't think I'm smart enough for Ravenclaw and I guess I'm too evil for Hufflepuff so I guess I don't belong anywhere."

"Well _I'm_ glad you're in Gryffindor, even if you're not," Molly pointed out firmly as they reached the Gryffindor common rooms, "I like our late homework conversations and for the first time since I started here, I think we have a real chance of winning the Quidditch Cup because of you."

"Why me? I'm not that good and I've never even played a real game before. I'm sure..." Scorpius started to say worry as Molly muttered the password to give them entry but he couldn't bring himself to say that James would've been just as good, "that someone else would have gotten Seeker and been just as good as me."

"Are you kidding? Ravenclaw's smashed everybody for years, they have a strong team all round. Slytherin's had a hard time losing since Kyle Nott became Seeker, if the Cup was only awarded on victories rather then points then they'd currently be the reigning champs. Hufflepuff's not got the best offensive team but their defense makes up for it. There's literally like ten points only between them, I don't think its been so close in years! But you, you're _better_ than Nott, you're naturally talented on a broom and meticulously observant, you're a Seeker, you have to _seek_ the Snitch before you can catch it and you're highly capable of doing both. This is like the last real chance that Gryffindor will have to win for years, its the Triwizard Tournament next year which will be held in Beauxbatons so we'll still have Quidditch but the seventh years will all go there so we lose all sixth years - including Cole, that's why he's so desperate to win this year because its his first, last and only as Captain - and the seventh years we have now will be graduated so that's our entire Chaser force gone so we'll need new ones to train up. Freddie is the oldest of the main team that'll be left so he'll almost certainly be Quidditch Captain - unless we get a random newbie whose never been on the main team appointed which is even worse! - and he's not exactly very organized, we need organization and planning if we'd have any chance with the new Chasers so I don't think we'll have a good enough team to beat the others for awhile, Chasers make up nearly half the team after all so I really want us to win this year," Molly told him quickly, spiraling into well thought out a Quidditch rant. Her face went as red as her hair as she seemed to realize this, "sorry. I just feel so passionate about things, I tend to blurt out information."

"It's okay, its good you care so much," Scorpius offered with a weak smile that seemed to put her at ease as she brushed a strand of curly hair from her face.

"Wish my parents saw it like that. Dad's never been much into Quidditch beyond friendly family games and Mum's a home-schooled witch, she never had much experience or interest in Quidditch," Molly said with a sigh, "sometimes I feel like if Gryffindor won then they'd see how important it is to me because I'll have something to show for it, see it as a strength rather than a pointless distraction from my studies, y'know?"

"Yeah," Scorpius muttered, starting to feel bad for thinking of Quidditch as a childish game when it clearly mattered to her and if it mattered to her then it mattered to him, "we'll win, Molly."

"That's a nice unusual burst of enthusiasm, I'm sure we will," Molly commented but her smile returned regardless, "see you later, I got to get started on my Ancient Runes homework."

"See you later," Scorpius offered as they parted ways, unable to stop himself from returning her smile before he did. She always had a way of making him smile and he wasn't sure why.

He went back up to his room to get changed before heading to the Library for his detention, his feet not too happy about being used but thankfully the Library was quieter that day and he got some of his Charms homework done. He was going to have a major homework catch up session that night, after his detention and after visiting Michael again in the hospital. He couldn't help but think of the blood rune book again while he was there, there were a few candidates he could ask for translation.

He knew Professor Ashain had studied them in school and passed with the flying colors, he was almost certainly capable of understanding it and he knew about the obelisk at least. However he was still an adult and adults had a habit of thinking children shouldn't worry about things, it made him doubt that the professor would be willing to translate or at least to tell Scorpius what he read. There was also Molly, she was studying Ancient Runes after all as one of the subjects she'd chosen for third year, she would probably be more willing to do it for him but she was new to the class and he wasn't sure how capable she was of translating it. There was also the option of trying to figure out a way to translate it himself, which was good for not getting anyone involved but also the least likely that he'd get an accurate translation, aside from the time-consuming trickiness of it.

He still hadn't decided what was the best choice, both had their pros and cons. He checked that the book was still there when he had to return some inventory to the Restricted Section, he was tempted to take it when he saw that it was there. Stealing was wrong but it was just borrowing, he had every intention of giving it back, he just wanted the information it contained. Especially if Varanian was going to alter their memories when they left the school, he had to be stopped and not just from hurting them, from what Professor Ashain had said... he didn't think the blood runes were a good thing. If he couldn't stop Varanian then maybe he could stop his plans, maybe then he'd leave his friends alone at the very least. He decided to risk leaving it again, he didn't think many students would be interested in blood runes but he was still afraid of coming back and seeing it gone.

He waved goodbye to the Librarian and headed back to the hospital wing to see Michael, Rose and Albus were both already there and poor Michael looked just as bad - if not worse - then he had earlier. His friend did give him a weak smile as he saw him approach before violently throwing up fire again, he noticed Rose cringe at that.

"How you doing?" Scorpius asked gently of Michael without thinking.

"I-It h-h-hurts," Michael rasped in reply and Rose scowled at him.

"No talking! How many times do I have to tell you?! Madam Pomfrey said to not talk so don't you dare let another syllable cross your lips, Michael Harold Sanford!" Rose barked immediately, Michael blinked in surprise while Albus chuckled.

"Harold," Albus muttered shaking his head and Michael opened his mouth to counter with a reply but a look from Rose silenced him.

"Severus," Scorpius offered up instead.

"Hyperion."

"What's wrong with Hyperion?" Scorpius wondered and the cousins both laughed, he frowned not understanding what was wrong with his name but his confusion just seemed to amuse them more and even Michael seemed to try to laugh but it must have been too difficult because he winced and rubbed his throat.

"Sorry, we shouldn't laugh," Rose said finally clearing her throat, "I actually like Harold."

"Harold," Albus repeated and seemed on the verge of laughing before his cousin gave him a stern look, "okay, okay, they're not that bad. When I have kids I'm going to give them cool names though."

"Like what? Frosty the Snowman?" Scorpius offered trying to be teasing but the cousins looked at him in confusion while Michael smiled in understanding before spitting up more fire, "seriously, have your parents buy you a TV for Christmas and learn these references about bizarre muggle stuff."

"Maybe we will. And you know I meant cool names like... Albus junior, or Blade or Claw. I was thinking like Ruby or Sapphire or Cloud for girls."

"Those names are terrible!" Rose shrieked.

"Well what are you going to name your kids then?"

"I don't know, I like old names. I use to like Philip but Varanian kinda ruined that for me. What about you, Scorpius?"

"I'm never having kids," Scorpius scoffed, crossing his arms and shaking his head, "I'm staying away from the marriage, dating, love, girls thing altogether, it seems like so much hassle and the world's too dangerous for kids, bad things happen all the time."

"Good luck with that," Rose offered in a tone that sounded sarcastic but Scorpius decided to let it slide.

"On the subject of Varanian though, did you notice how he wasn't at Lunch either and he still didn't look okay?"

"Yeah I did. What is wrong with him? Do you think that he'll die?"

"I-I-"

"No speaking!" Rose interrupted Michael before he could speak and the mudblood rolled his eyes, she seemed to feel sympathetic as her expression softened. She got out some parchment and ink, handing them to him, "you can write though."

Michael smiled slightly and eagerly started writing, stopping twice to throw up more fire but he seemed determined to say - or rather write - whatever was on his mind. When he was done he shoved the paper to Rose, she tutted and muttered something about his spelling as she went back and to correct it which earned her another eye roll from Michael before holding it out for them to read what it said.

_Varaynian was here last night! Said head hurt so bad 'like my head's going to implode, its worse than last time' and wanted something for the pain. MP said nothing worked last time so not likely to work this time. MP said needed to stay here to find source. V got mad (V hate hospital/healers) and stormed off_

"Well there you go, Scorpius," Albus commented as he finished reading last, "Varanian's got a little headache, maybe the pain is making him realize how much it hurts to hurt people so he's being nicer."

"Death Eaters killed his family and lit him on fire," Scorpius pointed out, "I think he understands pain perfectly fine. It's just weird."

"Well can you stop obsessing over it? Varanian's our _enemy_, who gives a damn if the man's in pain? Maybe its nature's way of punishing him for being evil. It's a good thing that we shouldn't worry about."

"Yeah," Rose nodded in agreement and Scorpius sighed, he still thought it was weird but he supposed they were right.

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_**Author's Note: **A bit of a filler as gearing up for some winter events, hope you don't mind. And can I say wow, I didn't except so many reviews and I just realized that I passed the 100 mark a few chapters ago, I feel like I should do something to celebrate. Anything you guys want?  
_

_**Thanks to: **Lucifersdaughter, Winged-panther1 and Diddleymaz for reviewing! Also to all those who added this to favorites, all those who added this to alerts and all my other readers too  
_


	41. I: Halloween

Varanian's nice streak didn't last very long. He was back in his seat on Wednesday lunchtime, his burns gone, his angry expression back and his hair now lengthy and black. He made Albus and Rose do more than the usual hour to make up for having gotten a few days free from the detention as had Nott, he apparently accused them of being corrupted by Scorpius' evil influence when they complained and not caring about protecting the school. That was much more like Varanian. Not that Scorpius was relieved, he rather preferred when his friends weren't being tortured.

Abby, Calderon and Professor Longbottom - and presumably Abby's brother and sister -weren't back yet either. Scorpius missed them. He liked the Librarian but he was no Calderon and doing the same thing every day was a lot less interesting than his usual varied routine. He missed Abby too, sometimes he felt rather left out when the cousins would start talking about family things and inside jokes that were lost on him. He even missed Professor Longbottom, every Herbology lesson they seemed to have a different professor substituting who all seemed to be in different places with what they thought they should be learning as well as differing levels of understanding, the Arithimancy teacher got two plants mixed up and got his hand violently bitten by something he thought would sing.

Michael was no better either, he was still confined to the hospital wing and looked worse every time Scorpius saw him but at least he didn't seem to breathing fire as frequently and by Friday it seemed to have stopped completely. He still remained in the hospital wing though, Madam Pomfrey took them aside that morning and quietly explained that the fire had torn up pretty bad inside, the internal remained even though the fire had stopped. Scorpius looked back at his friend anxiously as he left, Michael seemed even smaller being engulfed by the hospital bed, he looked so fragile and exhausted. _That should be me, _Scorpius thought miserably to himself as he went about his lessons.

Scorpius' day picked up greatly when he left his last lesson of the day, he saw a familiar figure standing in a swirl of dancing lights waiting for him. His face lit up when he saw Calderon, he ran to the assistant and threw his arms around him before he could really rationalize that it probably wasn't the best idea, even if the rest of the class wasn't watching.

"I'm so glad you're back!" Scorpius exclaimed as he pulled away, Calderon's dark eyes were ringed with fatigue but otherwise he looked cheerful enough.

"So am I, hospitals are _so_ boring," Calderon pointed out as they started heading away from the dispersing class, "like seriously, its amazing that people don't die from boredom in that place. You have to lie in bed and there's nothing to do, I can't have nothing to do!"

"Then don't use magic so much it nearly kills you and you won't have to."

"Healing is difficult is all, Scor," Calderon explained and Scorpius smiled slightly at hearing his nickname again, "even if I manage not to absorb the injury then I have to use my own... energy? to heal them, it just sucks my strength. A lot. That's why Poppy told me to never heal anyone again unless I had a death wish."

"Then why did you do it?"

"Nevvy was going to die if I didn't, what's the point in having all this power if I can't use to save the people I care about? And then I felt bad that I was healing him because he was my friend and all those other people weren't getting healed just because they were strangers, it seemed selfish of me so I just tried to heal as many people as I could. Figured even if I died then at least I'd die doing something good."

"Well just don't do it again, I don't want you to get hurt and you can't do anything good if you're dead."

Calderon inclined his head in acknowledgement before asking how Scorpius' Quidditch and schoolwork were going, Scorpius was telling him when they reached the Great Hall. It wasn't uncommon for them to clean the hall, cleaning seemed to be something that Calderon was at least in part responsible for, which meant so was Scorpius. However usually when they did so, the hall would be empty but this time the tables were all there.

"We can clean around them," Calderon pointed out as he grinned, "we'll want this place to be all clean before we decorate it for Halloween, we only have two days! Usually I'd have everything up by now. You can clean the windows magically I start on the rest of the room."

Scorpius nodded obediently, the Halloween feast usually was looked forward to by the students, at least that's what Molly had said anyway and this year she'd mentioned being doubly excited as it was also happened to be the first weekend the older students were allowed to Hogsmeade, which happened to be her first time. Calderon conjured him a bucket of soapy water and a sponge for him to get started on the windows, Scorpius took out his wand to make the sponge float up to the windows and start to clean them as he'd gotten pretty efficient at doing.

Music shattered the silence and Scorpius looked back to Calderon who was standing on one of the tables, the streams of light music was floating around the assistant as he laughed his uniquely high-pitched maniacal laughter and flung his arms into the air. Light shot out of went around the room, a swarm of mops appeared and dipped themselves into Scorpius' bucket of water before starting to go around the room. The chairs at the teachers table, all the benches and all the tables - including the one that Calderon stood on - rose into the air to allow the mops space to glide across the floor. Calderon seemed to be conducting it all with his hands as he started dancing across the floating table, singing along to the song that continued to play. The assistant never ceased to amaze Scorpius, he smiled and shook his head as he went to concentrating on the windows. After awhile he realized that the music had stopped, he glanced back to see the assistant hopping onto the lower floating bench and back onto the floor as he moved over to the entrance.

Calderon sighed, before seeming to notice something in the corridor and he clapped. The furniture immediately shot obediently back into their places. He gestured and more light shot out from his fingers, the mops vanished and sponge vanished while the water from the bucket moved so fast out that Scorpius barely registered it as it swept across every surface in the room -including the tables and windows- to clean it before vanishing along with the bucket.

"Why did you tell me to clean the windows if you were going to do that all along?" Scorpius wondered and Calderon laughed again.

"I wasn't going to do that all along, I can hear Ruby's footsteps coming with the pumpkins faster than I thought and getting them ready is much more fun than cleaning."

Scorpius walked over to Calderon and saw Professor Hagrid dragging a huge sack behind him as he came up the corridor, he wasn't sure if the contents of the sack weren't heavy or if being a half-giant gave the professor much more strength because it didn't seem to be taking much effort either way. He let go of the sack as he reached them and pulled Calderon into a fierce hug before the assistant could react, Calderon was a tall man but he was completely dwarfed by Professor Hagrid.

"Don't scare us like that," Professor Hagrid complained as he let go of Calderon and clapped him on the back, "glad yer back."

"Thanks. Did I miss much?" Calderon asked as he went to magically lift the sack but the professor stopped him.

"Yer s'posed t' be restin' you are, no matter wha' Varanian says. I got it."

Calderon seemed to think better not to argue but lights started floating around him again as Professor Hagrid started dragging the sack up the Great Hall, going into a room off to the side from a door by the teacher's table. The professor asked Calderon if he'd heard about the new species of dragon that had been discovered, Calderon's face lit up and the pair excitedly launched into a conversation about the new dragon breed that they were still talking about as they got into the room and started emptying the sack of its contents. It was pumpkins. A lot of pumpkins.

Calderon conjured a bucket and told Scorpius to put the insides of the pumpkins in it as the adults set about to scooping out the middles, once they were settled in they went back to talking about dragons and telling Scorpius about dragons. Scorpius' ears were filled with nothing but dragons by the time all the pumpkins were ready to be carved, he was sure they hadn't exhausted their combined knowledge supply of dragons yet but they at least paused so Calderon could explain and show Scorpius how to carve a pumpkin. That was much more enjoyable and he could rest his stinging feet, even if on his first try the pumpkin looked rather like a little child's drawing come to life. He still felt rather proud of it and was determined to do the next one better.

Professor Hagrid stuck to various faces - as did Scorpius - but Calderon was noticeably more skilled than them, he carved other designs such as a dragon, a bat and a castle that looked a lot like Hogwarts. They also worked at different speeds, Scorpius would still be halfway through his first by the time Hagrid finished one while Calderon had just started on his third. He was still having a surprisingly good time tackling the pumpkins and Professor Hagrid and Calderon made for good company, when they weren't obsessing over dragons anyway. He felt unusually relaxed as the conversation drifted mostly between various magical creatures that Professor Hagrid found fascinating or wanted Calderon to 'pumpkinize' and anecdotes about previous Hogwarts Halloweens, stretching as far back as when the professor had been a student himself when he'd accidentally transfigured a fellow student's cat into a pumpkin with legs due to his allergic reaction to it and spent Halloween chasing the legged pumpkin, to as recent as last year when James Potter had freed one of the live bats as a prank and it had caused chaos as well as making his cousin Roxy Weasley faint.

Talking of James got them to talking about Harry Potter, Professor Hagrid mentioned how the Triwizard cup names -including the shock of Harry Potter's name being drawn- had occurred on Halloween. He immediately went quiet then and stared glumly at the ground, silently stabbing at the pumpkin, Calderon looked sympathetic and seemed to know what had upset him.

"Are you still fighting with her?" Calderon asked gently and the professor nodded.

"Yer. She still wants him to stay in Beauxbatons an' I still want him to come t' Hogwarts, thas always wha' it comes down t' in the end. Hogwarts is my home an' Beauxbatons is hers, they jus' happen t' be in differen' countries an' neither of us wanted t' leave our homes, love wasn't enough. Bu' we still have Corin an' he's jus' stuck in the middle," Professor told him sounding suddenly melancholy and Scorpius found himself a bit lost in the direction of the conversation, "although I reckon more on the French side o' things. I sen' him some sweets fer Halloween an' he sen' 'em back with a note sayin' 'thanks bu' no thanks, sweets are bad fer my health an' teeth so I think I'll pass.' Since when did tha' matter t' kids? T' him? Is tha' how it is France?"

"I don't know, some people worry about things like that."

"He's jus' a baby, someone's go' t' be tellin' him tha' stuff. He's been distant with me ever since he started at tha' school, eight is too young t' start learnin' magic anyway I think bu' not the point. If he's like tha' now then wha' will it be like if he stays there fer his whole magical education?"

"Why don't you see what he's like and what he's like when he's here over Christmas?"

"If he evens comes," Professor Hagrid said miserably, "in his last letter he said tha' he doesn't wan' t' come if his bes' friend can't come too. Varanian said he'd ge' back t' me abou' it and he hasn't yet, s'pose it doesn't help with these postal delays. Corin probably thinks I stopped listenin' t' him."

"I'm sure he doesn't, he knows you love him and that you wouldn't deliberately ignore him," Calderon offered comfortingly and the professor looked very slightly more at ease. Scorpius was dying to ask who Corin was and what they were talking about but restrained himself. He thought it would be impolite to ask, he didn't feel like part of the conversation anymore. He finished another pumpkin, he was definitely improving and Calderon seemed to notice, "you know I think its almost time for dinner, you should both probably get out there and I should grab some food before its gone."

"S'pose yer right," Professor Hagrid nodded in agreement as he finished his own pumpkin and the huge half-giant got to his feet, Scorpius and Calderon followed suit as they went out into the Great Hall where students and staff were both already gathering at the tables, the house-elves having put all the cutlery and plates before anyone had arrived. Scorpius suddenly felt extremely self-conscious about being so close to the teacher's table at the head of the hall, he hadn't been there when there were people around and he was getting some looks, "remember on yer first night an' we came in late, Scorpius? Yer win firs' prize fer havin' the most unique entrance since I've been here, havin' t' go back fer yer an' yer worryin' abou' Calderon an' shadows."

"Worrying about shadows?"

"Yeah," Scorpius admitted with a shrug at Calderon's intensely worried expression, "I was just jumping at nothing, probably nerves and adrenaline and stuff."

"What did you see?"

"It was nothing."

"Are you sure?"

"Pretty sure," Scorpius said, in truth he wasn't a hundred percent sure but he didn't want Calderon to worry about it so soon after getting back from the hospital and the more he'd thought about it, the more he'd realized that it probably had been nothing after all, "I'll go sit down now. Will we get to do more of those tomorrow?"

"Hmm? Yeah," Calderon muttered distractedly as Professor Hagrid went to take his seat, Scorpius reluctantly left the assistant to chat to the nearest professor who'd started up a conversation with him about being pleased with Calderon's return.

He waved at Professor Ashain as they passed each other going to their seats and tried to find a seat, it was actually the first time that he his friends hadn't gotten there first or at the same time as him so he had an unusual freedom for seating. He smiled at the surprise on Albus and Rose's faces when they saw him, launching into an excited account of the pumpkin carving and the different faces he'd done, he'd tried to do each slightly different and saw them smiling oddly.

"Good to see you so happy about something for once," Albus offered with a shrug when he asked what.

"I'm just glad Calderon's okay. And pumpkin carving is awesome, just wait till you see them," Scorpius told them before he heard Varanian calling them all to order.

He now had stringy straw-colored hair, the other teachers were looking at him as if surprised he was making an announcement while Calderon was leaning against the wall by the door to the room they'd carved the pumpkins as he watched with a neutral expression, his fingers were twitching and he had a feeling that that was how Varanian's voice traveled so far and why Calderon always had to present for announcements.

"As you all have been made aware, Professor Longbottom was attacked and is taking some time off," Varanian began and worried mutterings spread throughout the hall, "and for that reason, for your own safety, all trips to Hogsmeade are suspended at least until the New Year. That is all."

Varanian calmly sat back down and carried on eating like nothing had happened, Calderon's fingers stopped twitching and he retreated back into the room. The mutterings around the room became angry, conversations around him were all of outrage over the cancelled visits and he noticed a lot of the teachers all had furious expressions as they seemed to start to question the headmaster over his sudden decision but Varanian didn't give the slightest hint that it worried him. Scorpius went back to his food, it didn't effect him too much as a first year but he knew Molly would be sorely disappointed, she'd been looking forward to so much.

Sure enough, when he went down to do his homework in the common room with her she was upset about it, furious really although unlike most she registered the threat of the Shadows but still thought it was a bit too much, Hogsmeade had yet to fall victim to them after all.

"Varanian is overreacting I think, London's been attacked plenty of times before by them. I mean not on such a scale, usually they target a single family or person and kill them, just leave the mark in their blood or sometimes in the sky so it could just be coincidence that Professor Longbottom was there and isn't a direct on the school," Molly told him late that night, they were the only ones still down there, "its not like they could've known he would be there, by all accounts Varanian only tells the teachers that they're allowed to go on the day so only Varanian and Professor Longbottom knew beforehand, since it was morning it wasn't even like he'd been there long. I worry about Varanian's sanity lately."

"You do?" Scorpius wondered, surprised as she hadn't been subjected to any of the physical punishments that he and his friends - or Nott - had.

"Yeah, I mean did you notice he wasn't at meals for a few days? He had to be sick or something, this is his third year as headmaster and my third year in school and he never once he missed a meal before then. Also he changes his hair so much, it was almost always scruffy and this tawny color, now its different every meal and I don't know... he makes me shiver now," Molly said and looked around quickly to make sure they were truly alone, "and I think he checks our mail. My dad always sends me the paper, he thinks its important to be kept up on current events and I read it. I noticed recently that there seems to be less pages, when I looked at the numbers I found there's certain numbers missing. Once maybe you can chalk up to typos or bad delivery service but four times in a row? I think he's taking pages out, all the new regulations could easily be a cover for it and it explains the delays. I'm all for owl safety but in some cases, does it really take a week to help one owl?"

"You're really... just... amazing to notice that," Scorpius offered, thoroughly impressed that she'd picked on up it.

"Not really I just... I know it sounds crazy but sometimes I just get these feelings about things, they've yet to lead me wrong and I get a feeling that something wasn't right with the mail."

"I think you're right, I got this weird letter from my Aunt and I wondered if it had been tampered with."

"Really?"

"Yeah," Scorpius said before scrambling to go get it to show her, so glad that he could finally talk to someone about it.

He wished he could tell her that he knew for a fact the mail was being checked but he'd overhead it when Varanian had been attacking Calderon, he couldn't tell about of that stuff in case Varanian put her on disc duty with his friends or just whipped her feet. They had to protect anyone else from falling victim to him, he especially didn't want her to get hurt, she'd been so good to him.

"I think that has been tampered with... You know if you leave it with me, if I can mind anytime between drowning in homework then I might - _I might_ - be able to undo what he's done," Molly announced when she was done reading the letter, "if I can make a list of spells that could this and say the counter spells then it should be reversible, there's all kinds of magic that witches and wizards have been using to conceal secret messages. Assuming it has been tampered with, can't too anything if your Aunt wrote it like this but I can try... If you want me to."

"Go for it."

Molly had said that it could take awhile but Scorpius was still pleased, it was more than he could do or had even thought to do. It also gave him an idea on how to get the message out about Varanian, if they could conceal a message in a seemingly innocent message then they could pass the word along. It was a flawed plan though, he wasn't sure how thoroughly the letters were checked or if Varanian would notice but the hardest part was how to make the receivers know about the hidden message. He'd run it by the others when Abby was back and Michael was better, he was still half-hoping that Abby would somehow break free of the memory alteration and tell people about what Varanian was doing. He also thought of the blood rune book, now that he wasn't in the Library every day he would have to take it the next time because he didn't know how long before he'd be able to get into the restricted section again.

He was still afflicted by his strange feeling of hope the next day, Quidditch practice was as brilliant as ever and then getting the castle ready for Halloween. He was disappointed when they ran out of pumpkins to carve but excited when Calderon lowered the candles to put in them, he could see what he, Calderon and Professor Hagrid had done and he felt... proud, they decorated the rest of the castle too although he didn't think anything was half as impressive as the pumpkins that they'd done. Poor Michael still looked a state but Scorpius made sure the hospital wing was included in places they decorated to try cheer his friend up.

He'd never been more excited for Halloween in his life, it didn't even touch his mind that it was only thirteen days until his first Quidditch match. He was swamped with homework but he enjoyed the work, much to Albus' notice at being stuck with his only two friends who actually enjoyed working and his detention for the day was to help the house-elves in the kitchens, he got on well with all of them and knew their names by that point and he rather enjoyed helping make the Halloween-themed feast, his eye for detail was useful in both cooking and presenting the food. His feet were absolutely killing him by the time of the actual feast but he didn't care, he felt a real sense of accomplishment at the end of the day. He wasn't weak, he wished his parents were there so he could say '_look at what I did. I'm not broken like you think, I'm capable of doing useful things._'

To his surprise Michael was at the feast too, dressed in his pajamas like in the hospital with a thick jumper over them as well as shoes and a cloak but Madam Pomfrey had thought it would be good for him to not miss out on the festivities if he felt up to it. She had to sit with him though, in case anything went wrong and he wasn't allowed to eat anything solid or drink anything except water but apparently he was there for the entertainment not the feast, the feast that Scorpius had helped the house-elves make. Michael was smiling though, albeit weakly, it was the first time he'd left the hospital wing in a week. Scorpius was glad and he wasted no time in pointing out to him - and Madam Pomfrey - which pumpkins had been carved by Professor Hagrid, which by Calderon and which by himself, Rose and Albus groaned at having to hear him talk about it again but Michael didn't seem to mind, Scorpius supposed anything was probably better than suffering in silence in the hospital wing.

When the feast was over the entertainment could begin, he'd heard about it but wasn't sure what it was until it happened. It was a story-telling of The Tales of Beedle the Bard, in a rather unique way than Scorpius was used to. Calderon stood quietly at the back but his hands never stopped moving, he quite literally brought the tales to life with illusions re-enacting the tales as the Astronomy professor narrated them. The illusions were massive and had no problem with getting up close to the students and teachers, even interacting with them at times. All of it was backed by the school Choir, conducted by Professor Flitwick. He was no stranger to the tales but he was very impressed with it all, as were his friends and Michael was grinning from ear to ear in amazement. Varanian alone didn't seem to be enjoying the festivities very much, he was leaned back strumming his fingers on the table impatient as if he couldn't wait for it to be over.

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_**Thanks to: **Diddleymaz and Guest for reviewing!_


	42. I: In The Hospital Wing

They trudged back to their dormitory full and in a good mood for once, the Halloween events were all that they were talking about and Reuben and Angelo - who usually ignored Scorpius completely - were including him in the conversation about which had been their favorite. Angelo couldn't decide, Reuben liked the Warlock's Hairy Heart because he thought it was most in keeping with the Halloween spirit, Albus and Rose both liked the Three Brothers best but wouldn't say why. Scorpius' favorite was Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump, he liked that magic triumphed over the muggles in the end. He didn't give that as his reason though. He was curious what Michael had thought of it all but he'd had to go back to the hospital, he still wasn't well enough to return to Gryffindor Tower or classes.

Scorpius was relieved to get back to bed, he was worn out and his feet were in agony. He supposed it wasn't as bad during the week because he'd been mostly sitting for classes and sitting in the Library, giving the injured soles a rest but over the weekend he'd been on his feet constantly. He said goodnight to Albus before closing shut the drapes to get ready for bed, he took off his shoes first and noticed the sole of his socks were stained crimson. Worriedly he pulled them off and saw the bandages were soaked through with blood, maybe it hadn't been such a good idea to just leave his socks on constantly so he wouldn't have to look at the wounds.

He put his shoes back on, wary of leaving a trail of bloody footprints as he went to the first year boys' bathroom. It was quite a large room, there were several urinals and toilet cubicles one end, a semi-circle of sinks in the mid-section and wooden cubicles with the showers on the other end. There was also a large bath with the showers, it was the only one and he knew that some of others fought over it. Scorpius had never used it beyond washing his injured feet, baths took too long and every time he used the bathroom he tried to be fast as possible in case someone came in, he liked his privacy, Marvin had made him exceptionally paranoid about it.

He went over to the bath now though and filled it part away, just enough to be able to immerse his feet. He sat on the edge around the side of the bath and rolled up his trousers, took off his shoes, socks, unraveling the bandages quickly and plunging his feet into the scalding water. He winced at the sudden shock of heat in the otherwise chilly room, his feet stung painfully for a moment and he closed his eyes against the pain before it started to wash away in the water. He sighed, he wished all pain washed away so easily.

He heard the creak of the door and his eyes snapped open to see Albus, he almost gave a relieved sigh that it wasn't one of the others as he glanced down. The water was now the color of his blood. He shivered as his friend walked over to him, he had changed into his pajamas.

"You okay?" Albus wondered worriedly.

"Just my feet," Scorpius answered quietly as Albus looked into the water and cringed.

"Well that's this tub ruined for me. Show me your foot."

"Since when did you become a medical expert?"

"I'm not but two eyes are better than one, or two people are better than one or... whatever it is. Since Michael's not here and you refuse to go to Madam Pomf-"

"I'll go if you or Rose can think of a convincing explanation for how I got these injuries then I'll go, it not like I can say I tripped and fell and my wand accidentally whipped the souls of my feet with Varanian's favorite spell. Besides, if she breathed one word of it to Calderon then he would figure out that Varanian lied to him, he just got _out_ of the hospital and I don't want to be responsible for putting him back. Or worse."

"Yeah, yeah I know. But maybe it wouldn't be so bad if Calderon knew, maybe he'd get so mad he'd like vaporize Varanian and all our problems would be solved.

"Somehow I doubt that," Scorpius muttered as he reluctantly pulled one of his feet out of the bath to show Albus the sole, resting the heel on the other side of the bath, "how does it look?"

"Kinda like when you first got it," Albus said with a shrug and a scowl, "maybe if we used Michael's muggle potion and bandaged it again then it'd be okay?"

"It's called antiseptic and its not a potion."

"How do you know so much about muggles?"

"We couldn't do that anyway because they seemed to be the last two bandages in the box," Scorpius pointed out and he saw a flicker of irritation at the ignored question but Albus seemed to decide to let it slide.

"Then we'll get some from the hospital wing."

"We can't tell Madam Pom-"

"I didn't say we tell her!" Albus interrupted and Scorpius put his foot back into the much more comfortable soothing warm water, "we just take them, I'm sure they have loads to spare."

"Stealing?!"

"It's not _really_ stealing, I mean if she knew then she would bandage you herself but since she can't know - as you insist - then I say we take them."

"I don't like it. Stealing isn't right," Scorpius stated stubbornly, he hated the idea. A part of his mind reminded him of the blood rune book but that wasn't stealing, he would give it back, you couldn't give back bloody bandages.

"Do you have a better idea?" Albus asked with an eyebrow raised and Scorpius was forced to admit that he didn't, "we can't just leave you like this, Scorpius, I'm getting those bandages whether you approve or not."

"Fine we'll do it! But how do you propose we get them anyway?"

Albus didn't answer but his face split into a grin from ear to ear, he told Scorpius to wait there before bolting excitedly. Scorpius sighed again and just rested his head against the wall, swishing his feet gently in the water and silently cursing Varanian for ruining his day, he'd been happy for once not an hour ago. He didn't even deserve it, his family had nothing to do with the attack and he certainly hadn't. It seemed to take awhile before Albus returned, now dressed and carrying a strange cloak and two pairs of black socks.

"We're going to get them with this," Albus said enthusiastically as he wrapped the cloak around himself and vanished.

"An invisibility cloak?" Scorpius wondered in amazement as Albus took it off, still grinning.

"It was my dad's, he gave it to me last Christmas. Said its tradition to pass it on and since he got when he was eleven on Christmas that it was tradition I got it then too, said James was trouble enough visible and I should only use it responsibly. Been dying for an excuse to use it."

"And using it responsibly is stealing bandages?" Scorpius asked with an eyebrow raised, Albus' face tinged red but he stuck by his reasoning.

Albus thought they should wait until it was a bit later so there would be no one in the common room for sure and less - or hopefully no one - in the corridors for them to run in to, best be as safe as possible considering what Varanian was capable of. To pass the time Albus told him about his father's, aunt and uncle's experiences with the cloak and their adventures in Hogwarts. Scorpius listened until the water went so cold he felt like his feet were immersed in liquid ice, he decided they'd waited enough then and emptied the tub.

"I got you these socks, better than putting those bloody ones back on and two pairs should be thicker like a kind of a bandage. They're these super thick woolen ones my gran got me because she knows it can be cold in the winter," Albus explained as Scorpius put them on.

He'd never realized before how small his feet must be compared to his friend because the sock heel was up his ankle, then again Albus was taller than him and older, Albus had turned twelve earlier that month. Albus was right about them being thick though, Scorpius had to squish his doubly socked feet into the shoes. They took the cloak and crept through the dormitory - Reuben and Angelo were sound asleep - and continued down into the blissfully empty common room, Scorpius went to the exit and peered out to make sure that no one was around before stepping out with Albus following.

Albus pulled him close, reminding him they needed to be under the cloak in case anyone saw. He tossed it over them, Scorpius was relieved that it covered them both and that you could still see out easily. He didn't like having to be so close to Albus though, being so physically close to people made him feel uncomfortable and this was no exception, being under a cloak didn't help. He supposed it couldn't be helped, it was better than letting Albus go alone but he still hoped it wouldn't take too long.

"Isn't this cool?" Albus whispered excitedly into Scorpius' ear, "like we're on an adventure, like my dad and Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron while they were in Hogwarts. This is more what I was hoping for for Hogwarts, rather than everything with Varanian."

"I kinda hoped I could just fade into the background actually. No adventure, no excitement, no danger just... normalcy."

"You kinda failed there. Big time."

"I know."

Scorpius fell silent and concentrated on leading them, Albus was walking immediately behind him as Scorpius knew the way better. As they walked, Scorpius discovered that Albus could really ramble on a lot when he was excited and that having someone literally speaking into your ear was annoying when you were trying to focus on where they were going and not getting caught. His feet were still in agony and their progress was painfully slow from having to walk so close together under the cloak, Albus seemed oblivious as he chatted away.

To his surprise when they reached the hospital wing there was all lights and the sounds of voices coming from inside, Albus shut up immediately and hissed at him that they should go. Neither of them moved though. Calderon and Varanian were coming up from the opposite side to them, Scorpius felt a stab of panic before he remembered that they were invisible and kept reminding himself of that fact.

"Well what happened?!" Varanian was demanding angrily of Calderon as they walked, he was now a brunette with incredibly neat hair.

"I don't know, if I didn't know the first time I'm not going to have known magically the next twenty-two times in a row. Poppy said a student seemed to have been attacked, to get you and that was all before I went to get you," Calderon answered with a roll of his eyes as they stopped outside the entrance to the hospital wing, Varanian looking nervous as his neat hair became a tangled mess, "you have got to try get over your fear of hospitals, or at least of the hospital wing."

"Oh shut up, you," Varanian snapped irritably before marching into the room, Calderon sighed before following him inside. Scorpius was afraid to breathe a sigh of relief in case they heard and came back and caught them, they didn't seem to have noticed them at least. He hesitated before headed forwards and he heard Albus' strangled whine of panic in his ear.

"Scorpius, we should go back," Albus whispered quietly, "that's _Varanian_."

"Exactly, we need to know any information involving him," Scorpius said so quietly he could barely hear it himself but Albus must have.

"Please Scorpius, I'm scared."

"Aren't Gryffindors supposed to be brave?"

"Well I... I think I'm kinda only here because I asked the hat to put me here."

"This was your idea, your adventure. This could be important," Scorpius pointed out feeling slightly irritated that the hat let Albus have a say but not him before he shoved it out of his mind and starting onwards again, he half expected Albus to slip out of the cloak and leave - or worse leave with it - but he followed silently.

Scorpius' heart was pounding as they wandered into the hospital wing as quietly as he could, he saw Michael in his bed further up on the left. His friend was half sitting up to get a closer look at what the adults looking at, seemingly trying to do it discretely from the way he had a one eye open and the other closed. The adults were gathered round a bed on the right and one up from Michael, he saw Madam Pomfrey as well as Varanian and his assistant along with Professors Hagrid and Ashain. He saw an older boy that Scorpius didn't really recognize and was in normal clothes so his house wasn't obvious, he looked very pale and very unconscious. He seemed to be caught somewhere between a shiver and a seizure.

"- we don't know wha' happened!" Professor Hagrid was saying with the same exasperated look Calderon had had when he was being asked it, "his friends dared him t' go into the forest 'cause its Halloween an' all, they heard him scream an' wen' t' investigate then found him like this. Came an' got me an' I found him like this so I brough' him here, that's all I know!"

"Well someone has to know more!" Varanian shrieked furiously, "children don't just... collapse and start convulsing for no reason, nothing that can't be stopped magically anyway. Marius, heal him."

"Put those hands down or I'll put them down for you, do you have a death wish? And you, unless you want to hire a new assistant, back off. He needs to rest, especially to not heal," Madam Pomfrey said sternly as Calderon went went to obey the headmaster, there was an almost flicker of concern in Varanian's eyes as he gestured for Calderon to obey her and the assistant lowered his hands.

"I saw something like this before," Professor Ashain spoke up thoughtfully and Varanian shot him a dark look, "when we were after Seraph, we were spreading out and exploring the rooms. We heard a scream and when we looked one of the Aurors was... convulsing on the floor like this, no spell would help him."

"What happened to him?" Calderon asked quietly.

"I don't really know."

"How useful," Varanian snapped, "why are you here anyway?"

"I was up on one of the towers and I saw the boys by the edge of the forest, went down to tell them to go to bed and Hagrid was carrying this one inside."

"Why were up on one of the towers in the middle of night?"

"Err... ad-admiring the... view," Professor Ashain lied awkwardly as he seemed caught off-guard by the question, Scorpius knew he went up the towers every night since his probation had been lifted to check his messages and see if his wife would call. Scorpius thought it was sad really, "stars are pretty."

"There's no stars tonight," Professor Hagrid pointed out unhelpfully.

"Which I realized when I got up there! Focus people, sick boy."

"Yes," Madam Pomfrey said firmly and looked relieved, "I've tried every spell I can think of to help but nothing touches him. Whatever potions that would usually help I've also tried, there's a few others we could try but they're much older and not used so much anymore so I don't have any to hand. I'm not even sure they'll work though, I fear there's some kind of Dark Magic at work that's preventing anything from working. Ashain was about to try a spell that senses traces of Dark Magic before you showed up and started questioning us like we're criminals instead of trying to help the poor boy."

"Try it then, Ticcy."

At Calderon's words, Professor Ashain raised the wand that he'd probably got out ready before Varanian's interruption. He muttered a spell and a light came from the end of his wand, like _Lumos_ but dimmer and with a greenish tinge, he moved the wand over the boy's shuddering body but nothing happened. Not to the boy anyway.

Scorpius felt the scar on his wrist burning, more excruciating than before and he had to bit down on his tongue so hard that he tasted blood, just to stop himself from screaming. He repositioned his hand to look at the scar, it was glowing with the same color light as from the professor's wand. He felt like he was going to pass out from the pain, he would have collapsed if not for Albus standing behind him and his friend somehow managed to keep him on his feet. He squeezed his eyes shut and clasped his hand over the glowing scar, irrationally worried that it might be seen or at least that Professor Ashain would sense it, it was his spell.

"Well that's weird," Professor's Ashain's voice was saying through the haze of pain, Scorpius managed to open his eyes a crack and noticed him glancing around the room with a scowl before he lowered his wand, the glow and the pain all stopped, "I feel like the spell's working but I don't see anything."

"Well clearly you're doing wrong," Varanian snapped and had his wand out in an instant, waving it furiously so it exploded with the same greenish light and the pain came back with renewed frenzy. Scorpius put his hand over his mouth to stop himself from screaming, his eyes were closed against the pain but Varanian seemed to have as little luck and the pain stopped, "okay fine, I'll admit its... unusual, Ashain. Maybe the spell's reacting to something else in the room, possibly Miles' affliction had traces of Dark Magic or something. Whatever touched Ryan isn't detected by it, some things can avoid it."

"Its Michael and Ryley," Calderon corrected and Scorpius opened his again, forcing his breathing to remain calm.

"Whatever!"

"Want me to go wake Horry for the potions then?"

"Obviously!" Varanian growled and Calderon ran off before the headmaster started to walk back towards the exit, the other adults in tow as he starting talking about what they were going to do. Scorpius and Albus had to hurriedly back off to the side but no one seemed to notice them still, at least the invisibility cloak seemed to work pretty well.

He would have zoned in to the rest of the adult's conversation if he hadn't heard Michael gasp, he looked back just in time to see what the mudblood was gasping at. He thought so anyway, he wasn't entirely sure that his mind hadn't been playing tricks on him. He thought he saw a cloud of darkness or a shadow moving out of the boy's - Ryley's - body, it was just a blur as it seemed to jerk violently towards the window and vanish from sight. The adults all turned their attention to Michael.

"What's wrong?" Madam Pomfrey asked worriedly as she came over to Michael.

"Th-There was a... a darkness," Michael told them in his currently rasping voice, it sounded almost breathless when he tried to talk louder, "this... darkness just... zoomed out of that boy."

"A darkness?" Professor Hagrid repeated but before Michael could say more, Ryley was regaining consciousness and had stopped shaking.

"What happened?" Ryley questioned of no one in particular as he sat up scowling, "why am I in the hospital wing? I don't feel sick or hurt."

"You don't remember what happened?" Madam Pomfrey wondered as she and the other adults returned to his bedside.

"I remember the Halloween feast, going back to my dormitory and... then I'm here. What happened?"

The adults spent awhile trying to press more details from him, Ryley seeming extremely confused and as curious as to what had happened and how he'd recovered as the rest of them, not seeming to know anything beyond returning to the Ravenclaw common rooms. Varanian kept fiercely demanding askance of what had happened until Ryley seemed on the verge of tears at being unable to tell him, Varanian actually started accusing the boy of lying to him and threatened to expel him if he didn't say. Ryley burst into tears then.

"Leave the poor boy alone!" Professor Ashain snapped defensively before the other two adults could, although Scorpius noticed that both Professor Hagrid and Madam Pomfrey had their mouths open to protest and disapproval on their faces, "clearly he doesn't remember and badgering him isn't going to help any."

"Perhaps you're right," Varanian mused as his hair turned jet-black, staring at the sobbing boy with cold eyes, "some memory charms might job his memory much better."

"Yer wan' t' use memory charms on a third year!?" Professor Hagrid burst out with an outraged expression, "yer can't do tha' Varanian."

"I can do whatever I want. We have to know what happened, the Shadows are after this school and we need to protect it, the more information we have the better."

"I'm pretty sure that you need parental permission to do spells like that on their children," Professor Ashain pointed out calmly and Varanian's hair turned spiky and red as he glowered at the shorter professor, "unless they're of age, then they could give their own permission but he's just thirteen. You have the power to make your own rules but not break the Ministry's, those rules are for the children's own safety and protection. Besides, memory charms can be damaging and are risky, you wouldn't hurting a child just for the sake of a few lost hours?"

"Sometimes sacrifices have to be made."

"Well good luck getting the parents to agree to it... You wouldn't do anything without the permission? You'd go to Azkaban for that."

"Of course not," Varanian growled irritably before Calderon returned with Professor Slughorn, who looked like he'd just gotten out of bed and pulled on a robe over his pajamas. Varanian's hair turned black and wavy as he turned his attention to them, as did Professor Ashain as the two men both went over to meet them while Professor Hagrid and Madam Pomfrey stayed with Ryley, seeming to try to calm him and ask him about his health - the one thing Varanian hadn't asked, "your services are not required anymore, Rhys has come out of it."

"Ryley."

"Whatever!"

"Ah, well I'm glad the boy's alright," Professor Slughorn said with a sleepy nod and a yawn, "do you need me for anything or can I go back to sleep now?"

"Knock yourself out!"

"So what was wrong with Ryley?" Calderon asked as the Potions Master started to waddle away tiredly.

"Probably just a fright or a fit or something. He snapped out of it completely except for some mild memory issues but otherwise he's in perfect health."

"What about the darkness that Michael saw?" Professor Ashain wondered, Scorpius spared his friend a glance to see that Michael was very much awake and listening just as they were.

"Boy's all doped up on potions, he couldn't tell the sun from the stars."

"The sun _is_ a star."

"Well don't you just know everything?!" Varanian spat venomously as his hair turned bright green, "its an expression, I know bloody well what the sun is! Didn't your month's probation end a few weeks ago?"

"Yes."

"Well you're back on probation again, congratulations!"

"What?! Why?!"

"Because I said so! Unless that breaks the Ministry's rules too! Marius, tell that worthless nurse to keep an eye on the boy," Varanian yelled as he started stalking for the exit and Professor Ashain sighed heavily.

"Kill me now."

* * *

**_Thanks to: _**_Lucifersdaughter, Diddleymaz and Aya Diefair for reviewing!_


	43. I: Falling Into Place

Scorpius and Albus had to wait by the wall for a long time. They happened to have gone to the wall by Michael's bed to avoid the adults and Professor Ashain decided to ask Michael about the darkness he'd seen, standing in the way of them leaving. Michael must have been feeling lonely or apprehensive or something because he asked the professor about what he'd been missing in Defense Against the Dark Arts, Professor Ashain launched into an extremely long, detailed account of the week's work - which seemed to cheer him up a bit - while Michael scribbled down notes happily in his notebook as he'd requested it for something to read while bored to keep up with the work.

Professor Hagrid left fairly quickly, seeming to decide that there was no further use of him and returned to his hut presumably. Madam Pomfrey fussed over Ryley for awhile but the boy seemed to be in perfect health, aside from his memory loss, before deciding he was okay but should sleep in the hospital wing that night and he did, he seemed asleep the moment his head hit the pillow. Calderon just stood around for awhile, arms folded and looking anxious before Madam Pomfrey insisted he had to rest and chased him off to go to bed. Even after Professor Ashain finally finished talking, wished Michael a speedy recovery and left, Albus insisted they still get the bandages.

They had to wait until Madam Pomfrey left the room which was taking a surprisingly long amount of time, finally Scorpius had had enough and his feet were killing him. He took out his wand and levitated an empty potion vial, throwing it out into the corridor which made the nurse go investigate. He made a mental apology to her as they hurriedly opened the cabinet and swiped the bandages, closing the door quickly as she returned. Finally they could head back to Gryffindor Tower, Albus almost made it all the way there before asking him the question that Scorpius had been dreading.

"What happened to your wrist?"

"I don't know," Scorpius hissed in reply, willing Albus to let it go.

"The scar was glowing."

"I noticed."

"How did you get that anyway?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Scorpius said firmly as they finally made it back to the common room and he could throw off the cloak and breath easily again.

He wasted no time in yanking up his sleeve to inspect his wrist properly, the scars looked even more livid than it had since last week, darker too and there was more of the purple tinge around his skin, now mixed with a greenish tinge like the skin was bruised around the scar. He ghosted the scars with his fingers, they raised slightly of his skin and the bruised skin was tender to his touch. What was wrong with it? What was wrong with him? Albus started moving over to him and he yanked his sleeve back down, crossing his arms firmly to make sure there was no chance of Albus seeing it. It was one problem that was his and his alone.

"Did... Did your family give you that scar?" Albus asked carefully and Scorpius couldn't help but blaze with anger, the dying fire burst back into life.

"Of course not!"

"We're friends, you can tell me anything you want," Albus said gently and looked at him with such a caring yet anxious expression but Scorpius was still angry, he didn't go around accusing Albus' family of giving him scars.

"My family didn't do anything to me! Just because my father and grandfather used to be Death Eaters, it doesn't mean that they're evil and certainly not to me so stop assuming that they are."

"Then how do you hurt your wrist?! Why did it glow and cause you pain?!"

"It's none of your concern," Scorpius snapped darkly as he stalked off back to the dormitory, the fire died behind him.

He got back to his bed and yanked shut the all the drapes, sitting down on the side and looking at his wrist again. He _hated_ it. It was like a constant reminder of Marvin scarred into his skin, what Marvin had done to him and what he'd done to the Marvin in the end. It was part of him and he couldn't get rid of it, anymore than he could get rid of the whole time he'd been abducted and he hated that, he wished none of it had happened. He covered it back up with his sleeve and stared at the ground, he kept trying to ignore it, shove it so far into the back of his mind that it didn't effect him. But it was always there.

"I'm sorry," Albus spoke as he pulled back the drapes and Scorpius blinked in surprise, "I shouldn't pressure you like that, if you don't want to say its fine but you're my friend and I just worry about you sometimes is all."

"It's okay," Scorpius mumbled and decided that if Albus would let it go then so would be. He noticed that Albus didn't apologize for accusing his family though.

"So let's try get your feet sorted."

Scorpius took off the socks to give back to Albus as his friend got the antiseptic from Michael's things, he hoped Albus was careful as Michael was a lot neater than Albus and he didn't want Michael to come back and find everything he owned in disarray and have to fix it all. They pulled shut the drapes so Scorpius could use_ Lumos_ so Albus could see what he was doing as he sat opposite him on the bad, it stung painfully again but his feet were already hurting so much anyway that it didn't seem as bad and Albus seemed determined to talk to him throughout anyway.

"That was weird though, wasn't it?" Albus said thoughtfully, "I mean we go to the forest everyday and haven't ever had seizures or bits of our memories erased, never had darkness come out of us either. I don't even know what that was that came out of him."

"Maybe it was the Dark Magic leaving him because it had done whatever it was done... erasing his memory or whatever it was doing to him something like that."

"It's creepy. Why would anything want to erase his memory anyway?"

"So he wouldn't be able to tell anyone who or what attacked him?" Scorpius guessed and Albus scowled with worry.

They wracked their minds as they bandaged a foot each, both didn't seem as neatly done as when Michael had done it but overall he thought they didn't do a bad job, but they couldn't think of any spell they'd heard of that could do that. They both went to bed after that, it was late after all. Scorpius was surprised but pleased that he slept so well that night, he supposed it was because he was so tired but he was glad for the lack of dreams and a restful night. He was still worried about the darkness the next morning though.

The next day Albus filled in Rose, who was furious at them for going without even thinking of taking her with them and most of their conversations that day were wondering what had happened to Ryley and what the darkness was, not believing Varanian's explanation anymore than Professor Ashain had but they had as much luck as the adults at figuring out what happened. Ryley was no longer in the hospital when they visited Michael before breakfast, Scorpius spotted the older boy at breakfast after seemingly no worse for wear after his whole ordeal. Varanian never mentioned it to the school.

At breakfast Scorpius noticed that the teachers all look worried - presumably they'd been told what happened - except for Varanian, his expression was unreadable. Calderon was by the headmaster's side as usual and looked like he'd slept little, or maybe he had because he'd look exhausted since he'd gotten back, Professor Ashain didn't look like he'd slept at all either. The rest of the school were too amused by James Potter's howler to really pay attention to the teachers though, by the sound of it the school had sent his parents a letter about what happened with Michael because it shrieked that James hadn't mentioned putting a little first year in the hospital wing and that he shouldn't pick on first years - regardless of who they were or why they were friends with - and how dare he lie to them about the circumstances, it said Gryffindors were better than that and so was James.

Scorpius had to snort with amusement at that line. James' face was red by the time it was done and people were laughing, James met Scorpius' eyes and hatred seared in them before he stalked out of the room. Scorpius got the impression that James somehow blamed him for it, how was it was his fault that James' father had morals? What kind of pathetic stuck up person tried to use their father's influence to help them get out of trouble that they'd caused anyway? They must have also sent a letter to Scorpius' parents too though because he got a letter too, the next day but the tone was completely different.

There were a million questions about if he was alright, telling him to try not pick fights with other kids if he could help it because they were stronger and more experienced, he needed to take it easy because he was weaker. They didn't seem to notice or care - or perhaps didn't know - about Michael being in the hospital or his attacking James, he knew he shouldn't let it bother him but it did. He wrote a long reply all about Halloween, the entertainment, his helping with the feast and the pumpkin carving, he even used Professor Hagrid's name because he was too annoyed with them to care what they thought of his good opinion on the professor. They wrote back in confusion, not understanding why he was enjoying his detentions and having to 'menial' things for people that didn't matter. He was tempted to write back that it was because he _liked_ helping people, he_ liked_ feeling useful, he _liked_ talking to the house-elves and the teachers and he loved going around with Calderon. But he didn't. He didn't reply at all.

He was surprised by the papers though, they arrived late of course but the attack on the Leaky Cauldron had made the front page and it was mentioned that almost all those who survived and were brought to the hospital had being healed 'by the impressive efforts of certain people' but Calderon wasn't given the credit that he deserved. He wasn't mentioned by name at all.

"I asked them not to," Calderon explained when he asked him about it, "knowing I did something good is enough, I don't need or want recognition."

Scorpius thought he was being too modest for his own good, he'd saved everyone's lives on the train and then had saved a load of people's lives at the hospital and both times had almost died, both times hardly anyone knew that he was hero. It didn't seem fair. Then again, Calderon was pretty self-depreciating for all his cheerful attitude and Scorpius would hate being in the public eye if it were him, the attention would be a nightmare when you just wanted to be invisible and unnoticed. He thought Calderon felt the same. He'd asked Calderon about what happened with Ryley too after Michael - not realizing that he and Albus had been there until they told him about the cloak, he was amazed - so he could Albus' secret and not lie to Calderon as Michael had told him. The assistant didn't know much more than they had though.

"Pippy lied to the others when he brushed it off as nothing, he thinks the same people that attacked the train and the Leaky Cauldron attacked Ryley because he thinks they're after the school," Calderon told him, "apart from that you know as much as I do."

* * *

"Wakey wakey, sleepy head," Brutus' voice gruff spoke into in his ear and Lucius jumped, he hadn't even realized he'd fallen asleep at his desk.

"What do you want?" Lucius snapped irritably as the Soul Eater walked around to the other side of the desk, already seeming to have helped himself to more of liquor while Lucius was sleeping and was guzzling the expensive bottle happily as he moved.

"Your next task, of course."

"Oh joy."

"No killing this time," Brutus informed him with a smirk, "you just need to go to the Ministry and request to see Harry Potter, tell him that Seraph contacted you - pretend he's in perfect health and powerful - and that he told you he's planning a mass breakout of Azkaban prison to gain an army for his master, he requested your help but you refused because but you're content with your life the way it is and too old for this hassle. For your refusal say Seraph said the first thing he'd do after the breakout is kill you, demand that they beef up security there to stop him and refuse to leave until he gives you his assurances that he will. Be convincing."

"And then?"

"That's it for now."

"That's it?" Lucius wondered in surprise with a frown as Brutus nodded.

"Potter may not like you very much as person but he's at peace with you, he respects that you changed sides in the end and will most likely take your worry about Seraph and a breakout seriously, Seraph tried to unite the remnants of Death Eaters before after all and if he doesn't we'll take steps to make the threat more credible."

"What has that got to do with anything else you've asked of me?!"

"Nothing, we're making a bit of progress with the Hogwarts stuff, the master thinks the spell will have to be completed before the Specters can survive properly there. There's more than one thing going on, in case you hadn't noticed."

"But why do you want the security in Azkaban to improve then? Why do want Specters to be able to survive properly in Hogwarts? What spell are you talking about? What purpose does any of that serve?" Lucius questioned frustratedly, at least as a Death Eater he'd been aware of things and knew why he was doing things, he didn't like being kept in the dark, "tell me, you moron!"

"Why should I tell you anything when you're such a jerk to me? You ever play Wizard chess? You're a Pawn, Lucius. You can only see the one square in front of you, you can only go forwards even though you have no idea what will happen when you move but you have to go where you're told, Pawns can be useful but they're expendable. You're not the one playing it so you don't get to see the whole board like the master can, you don't get to know all the plans," Brutus told him as he became serious once more and started to turn away, "you just move forwards when you're told."

"If I'm a Pawn and the master is the one playing the game, what does that make you?" Lucius called after him and he stopped to look back as the shadows gathered around him, he seemed to pause before coming back with a reply.

"I'm a King. The most important piece that can go whatever direction I want."

"Isn't the King also confined to still only moving one square though? You're still trapped, you can go anywhere but only a limited distance where the master lets you. You just think you're free but really you're just a different kind of pawn, the kind of pawn too stupid to realize what it is," Lucius said and Brutus was glaring as the darkness consumed him.

* * *

The first week of November passed surprisingly quickly with Calderon back. His feet were still bad though, the wounds kept opening up if he was on his feet too much. He'd found a spell to remove the blood from the bandages, to reuse them and save them having to take more - Albus seeming both relieved and disappointed at this. He didn't think that was good, he didn't see how they could heal properly like that but he couldn't very well take some time off to recover. It did worry him a bit, the one on his cheek - and the ones on Calderon's - had taken a long time to heal completely, longer than he thought a normal wound would which he thought was part of the spell. He wished he could ask Calderon about it but he knew he couldn't. He did miss walking without being in constant pain but he was learning to live with it, it was bearable for the most part and he had a string of curses ready to mutter under his breath about Varanian - courtesy of Professor Ashain - for when it wasn't.

He did feel bad for lying to Calderon though, the assistant had noticed something was up and he'd lied about having shoes that were too small because his feet had grown. Calderon had offered to grow then larger but Scorpius had managed to refuse, claiming Calderon was supposed to be taking it easy on the magic front which put made the assistant snort in irritation and defiantly use magic as much as possible for the rest of the day. A lot of teachers had been saying that to him, it got on his nerves after awhile.

"It's not like I can stop using magic, even if I wanted to," Calderon told him irritably, "and believe me I've tried. Dementors are he only thing that stop it, they suck the magic out of you along with everything else good so its not worth living if you're around them constantly. I can control what the magic does but I can't stop it, why do you think there's random lights that float around me or music all the time? Its best to channel it into something, if I try to suppress it then things have a habit of exploding. Exploding isn't good."

Calderon grumbled for awhile before get distracted and excited when he remembered what they were doing, which happened to be going to help Professor Hagrid trap an injured unicorn so they could help the poor creature. He never asked about Scorpius' feet again but Scorpius knew he wouldn't if he thought that Scorpius would 'nag' him about magic again. Scorpius was finding school life easier in general though, once you had a routine then everything kind of slotted into place and you got used to it, he wasn't feeling swamped anymore.

He found himself less withdrawn too, he had a good relationship with almost all the staff - minus Varanian, Professor Binns as he had no detentions with the ghost and the Arithimancy professor was a lost cause - and enjoyed his conversations with them during his detentions. In just two months of being in the school, Scorpius had found out several tips and new spells from his detention work with the teachers too, he wondered if it was normal to enjoy detentions so much. He may not get along well with the majority of the students but he was more talkative with his friends and the Quidditch team - minus James - who he always had a good time with, as well as Calderon of course. His life was far from perfect, especially with Varanian still taking his friends for their unpleasant detentions but he was in such a better place than he had been at the same time last year, then again most things were better than having to live through the things Marvin had done to him every day.

It was on the Thursday of the second week of November when the Longbottom family returned, he noticed Professor Longbottom's seat was no longer empty, the man not looking like he'd nearly died a few weeks ago at all and was glad to see Abby sitting eating breakfast. She grinned from ear to ear when she saw them and ran to greet them, throwing her arms around the cousins before they both had even noticed her, Albus' cheeks were scarlet when she let them go. He smiled to himself and shook his head at their surprisingly bad observation skills, conversation was no excuse. Abby almost seemed ready to hug him too before she noticed Michael's absence, insisted on seeing him before lessons which cost them their breakfast. Michael was still in the hospital wing, he finally seemed to be doing better though, they visited him every day. Abby had had her memory altered just like Rose had and was upset by her inability to have helped them, especially when she learned of what Varanian had done to Scorpius' feet because the cousins insisted on telling her.

It was the day after Abby was back that he got assigned detention in the Library for the first time since Calderon's return, he was itching to get to the Restricted Section to get the blood rune book - assuming it was still there - but there was an annoying number of non-restricted to put away, he was actually beginning to give up hope that someone would show up before his Quidditch practice before finally a sixth year Ravenclaw brought back a single book from that section. He hurried to put it back and was relieved to find the blood rune book was there, he hesitated for just a second before pocketing the small blood rune book.

"I'll bring it back," Scorpius promised of the silent witnesses, "I promise."

When he got back, the Librarian told him he could go to his Quidditch practice. He tucked the book under his pillow before grabbing his broom and getting changed, hurrying to the pitch without being more than a minute late. Captain Cole was being especially hard on them that day, it was only after it was over that he realized why: tomorrow was their first match of the season.

* * *

_**Thanks to:** Winged-panther1, Diddleymaz, Lucifersdaughter, Aya Diefair and Me for reviewing! So many reviews, thank you!  
_

_**Author's Note:** To Me, glad you like the story and about Neville, I did actually think about that a lot and for awhile I considered just having Abby aware of it without getting hurt but for several reasons I chose not to. Sometimes parents don't notice things going on with their kids, even really good parents, especially when the kids are trying to hide it. She'd just started Hogwarts which is majorly different to being at home and any slight changes he'd notice, he'd chalk it up to her being stressed from the workload. Plus he's known Varanian for years (fun fact: Neville started in Hogwarts in 2008 after the birth of his youngest son, Varanian started 2 years later) and doesn't think he'd do anything like that to a student, let alone his daughter. But you are right that Neville wouldn't care about getting fired (if he knew) but Abby does care about him getting fired. Can't comment on the letter. Also to Aya Diefair about the Ministry not noticing, he does cover his tracks really well and any letter the teachers write to complain about him are stopped and he forges fake replies from the Ministry dismissing their concerns (fun fact: the main reason he hired Professor Ashain was to stop the Ministry appointing someone as they'd been having a hard time finding a replacement) Okay random talkative mood over  
_


	44. I: Nerves

Scorpius had a feeling that his face went even paler than usual when Captain Cole started his end-of-practice speech about the game tomorrow, Scorpius knew he should be listening but his mind was in panic. How had time passed so quickly? It couldn't be the game already. A real, actual Quidditch game with real, actual people playing Quidditch. He wasn't a real, actual Quidditch player like everyone else was. He was just himself.

"Good luck, Scorpius," Danielle Scraffer - one of the Chasers - offered as they started to disperse. Molly had stayed behind to shower in locker rooms so he couldn't walk with her as usual.

"And get an early night," Christine Wood - another of the Chasers - added as the older girls went to walk by him, "you'll need to be well rested if you're going to beat Nott!"

"Yep and you damn well better beat him because I bet a lot on you!" Freddie offered with a laugh he clapped Scorpius on the back but Scorpius but the worry must have shown on his face because the elder boy's expression softened slightly, "hey, cheer up. It shows I have faith in you. We all do, you'll play circles around Nott."

"Thanks," Scorpius muttered awkwardly with a nod which seemed enough to Freddie as he walked away, loudly planning the victory party.

"I don't have faith in you," James sneered appearing at his ear, "you're going to fail, Malfoy. In front of the entire school and everyone will know what a worthless cheat you are, you Death Eater scum."

"Hey, we're on the same side, remember?" Cole snapped as they wandered close enough to be in earshot, James rolled his eyes irritably at this and nodded.

"Enjoy the game," James said loudly and Cole passed them by looking satisfied, James waited until he was far enough way before his tone darkened, "while you can because it'll be your first and last. I'm twice the Seeker that Nott is and you're not even half as good as him, you're a fraud and when everyone knows it, you'll be off the team faster than you say... boo!"

Scorpius couldn't help but jump as James yelled the last word into his ears, the older boy walked away shrieking with laughter. Scorpius couldn't actually be bothered to think of a comeback, he was too nervous about the game. Everyone would be watching him, from every house, from every year, all the teachers even. Everyone either counting on him to catch the Snitch - he didn't want to let them down, or expecting to fail - he wanted to prove those jerks like James wrong.

He started cursing his own name under his breath in place of Varanian, why couldn't he just have failed to catch it the first time? Why couldn't he be as bad at flying at Albus? Then he wouldn't be on the team and no one would be expecting things of him or waiting to laugh when he failed. Or if only he hadn't been put in the wrong house, the other houses all had older Seekers so there was no way he would have got the position. Why did the stupid hat have to have put him in the wrong house? He was anxious by the time he got back to the common rooms, Abby, Albus and Rose were lounging around on the chairs chatting happily, especially Rose, she was beaming before she noticed him and ran over excitedly with the other two hurrying to catch up.

"Guess what?! Guess what?! Guess what?!" Rose asked him repeatedly, literally bouncing up and down with enthusiasm, Scorpius opened his mouth to reply but she couldn't wait, "my dad's okay! He's awake! He's awake and he's alive and he's okay! Isn't that great!? Varanian gave me my mail from yesterday and Mum says that Dad's awake and the hospital think now he's awake that he's going to be okay! Isn't that just great?!"

"Real great," Scorpius confirmed with a slightly forced smile, he was glad her dad was okay but he had other things on his mind and he didn't think she should get her hopes up too much until he was at least out of the hospital. Hospitals had a habit of telling you people were going to be okay but they died anyway, like his poor sister.

"I know, right?!"

"Uncle Ron would wait until the day after the Longbottoms get back to wake up, wouldn't he?"Albus said with a hint of smile, "and Michael is allowed out of the hospital wing for the match tomorrow! He's allowed to come back to lessons on Monday too, well just the first one and see how he feels but its a start."

"That's great," Scorpius repeated with another forced awkward smile, he was pleased for his friend but the mention of the match again made his stomach churn.

"And also because of that Quidditch match, Varanian is letting off detention!" Abby piped up happily.

"That's really great," Scorpius said again with a final forced smile at the cheerful faces, "I'm going to go get changed now, then I have homework."

"How can you even think about doing homework at a time like this?!" Albus burst out looking horrified, "you need to rest for the game! C'mon, Scorpius, you need to get your head in the game so we can win! I don't want my house, two of my cousins, my brother and one of my best friends to lose their first game together! There's a lot riding on this game."

"No pressure there then."

"You're not worried are you?" Rose laughed, "from the way Freddie's been going on it, the game's in the bag and you could catch the Snitch with your eyes closed and one hand tied around your back!

"Yeah," Scorpius sighed and forced another smile, his face was starting to hurt from smiling too much and he didn't want to ruin their good mood by telling them that he _was_ worried, Freddie was overconfident and he'd never played a game before and it was different with everyone in the school watching you, "we have a pretty awesome team, nothing to worry about. Gonna go lie down for a bit though, rest up and all."

They all nodded and went back to the chairs, still beaming and talking excitedly. Scorpius managed to keep his fake smile until he'd turned away and was heading up the stairs, he threw himself down onto his bed miserably. Trying not to think of a thousand of pairs of eyes on him yet finding it impossible not to imagine, he groaned and hugged his face to pillow. Feeling a slight stab of surprise when he felt a book under it before recalling he'd taken the blood rune book, he took it out and flipped through the pages again, almost as if to reassure himself that it was still before replacing it. He had been going to tell his friends about it after Quidditch practice, update them on everything he hadn't told them yet about finding the obelisk and what Professor Ashain had told him. He could hardly say that now, not when they were in such a good mood, what kind of friend would he be?

He sighed heavily and got changed into ordinary clothes once more, sparing a glance for his wrist as the strange bruising-looking colors had yet to go away or even fade. He didn't feel like lying down, he knew he'd just worry more. He wanted to do his homework or do something to take his mind off it at least, he got out his books and started on the work, so happy that he had a whole essay to write for the time he went down for dinner it was the only thing on his mind, unfortunately it wasn't the only thing for everyone else. Quidditch was the talk of the table and Scorpius' mind was plunged back into worry. He was scared. Scared of failing, scared of succeeding, the prospect of having to play in front of everyone just scared him in general. He ate as quick as he could, finished before everyone else and said by to his friends as he left the Great Hall.

"Hey Scorpius!" Molly's voice called and he glanced back to see her chasing after him, "I... I did it."

"Did what?" Scorpius wondered tiredly and Molly glanced around to make sure there was no one around before she slipped out his Aunt's letter and handed it to him. She looked worried and for the first time, Scorpius realized that it probably wasn't Quidditch nerves getting to her.

"Varanian did tamper with it..." Molly whispered anxiously, "I wanted to give you it now before I forget but don't read it until after the game, wouldn't want you to be distracted from your first game."

"Okay," Scorpius lied and she smiled brightly, wishing him luck in the game before racing back into the Great Hall to finish her dinner. He couldn't wait though. He read it as he walked.

_Dear Scorpius_

_How's my favorite little nephew? Although I suppose you're not really so little now that you're at Hogwarts! Well you're the littlest in the school but hey, you gotta start somewhere. Hope no one's giving you a tough time, if they are then just tell me and I'll knock them into the middle of next week for you! _

_I don't want to scare you or anything but I got a temp job at the Ministry, I heard some things and I really think that you have a right to be warned since they're keeping it quiet. You may have noticed some strange things on the train journey, they may have told you that it was technical difficulties or a prank or whatever lie they're telling you but it wasn't. There's this... shall we say, dark group? That have been causing havoc recently, deaths, thefts, attacks on muggles and possibly even some disappearances, the Ministry haven't been this worried since You-Know-Who, they call them the Shadows. The Shadows are responsible for the strangeness on the train journey. _

_They destroyed a viaduct that the Hogwarts Express was meant to cross, with fiendfye no less - you haven't been with muggles so long that you've forgotten what that is, have you? - and in plenty of other places to try to derail the train, they managed to rig the train to be stuck on go once it was started. You're lucky to be alive. That's how serious this is, Scorpius. It's a miracle a former Auror and this man - Marius Calderon - were on the train to stop it, the Auror managed to counter the Dark Magic that was forcing the train to move and this Calderon guy... I'm not sure I believe that he created 'tracks of light' and without a wand or spell to boot but he did something to save the train._

_ On the same night as that they killed several former Hogwarts staff members. For awhile the Ministry thought Hogwarts might be a target but the Shadows have made no further attempt, the Shadows are targeting so many things at seemingly random its so hard to tell, there's so many avenue's for them to explore, too many. I'm not trying to scare you, Scorpius but I feel like you have a right to know the truth that they kept out of the papers, just in case, I don't want anything else to happen to you. Remember to pay a lot of attention in Defense Against the Dark Arts! _

_So there, now you know. Its probably best that you keep this information to yourself, you can keep a secret right? Like I said I'm not trying to scare you but I feel like you have a right to know that the Ministry think you (or rather the school) could possibly be a target. And don't be ashamed if you want to come home, it's not weak to need more time to recover and with everything else it may be safer if you prefer but personally I think it could be safer at Hogwarts for you, its heavily protected by ancient and new magic since the last battle, it would take some serious magic to get past it. I haven't told your parents any of this because I know your Malfoy relatives would take you out in an instant if they knew, I think you deserve a choice so just be careful.  
_

_All my love_

_Aunt Daph xxx_

"Careful there, Scor!" Calderon's voice rang out and Scorpius glanced up from the letter, realizing he and Calderon had almost walked into each other as they rounded the same bend from opposite sides. His heart sank when he noticed the fresh welt on the assistant's face, that hadn't been there earlier. He hated Varanian. He actually was starting to hope that the headmaster would come after him again, just so he'd have a chance to stand up to him and try out the spells they'd been learning in Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"Are you okay?" Scorpius asked worriedly, the letter forgotten as his focus shifted and the assistant gave him an almost convincing smile.

"Yeah, no harm done. Should probably pay more attention to where you're going though, and so should I."

"Yeah... So why did Varanian attack you this time?"

"Varanian didn't attack me," Calderon lied as a hand went to the injury, cringing slightly as his fingers brushed it and seemed to think better of lying as Scorpius scowled, "for asking him not to erase Rose's memory if she visits her father in the hospital. It doesn't matter its not the worst, don't worry about it."

"You don't want Rose's memory erased?" Scorpius wondered after forcing himself to bite back an angry comment that it _did_ matter and that Varanian was insane and evil and he shouldn't attack anyone at all.

"Of course I don't, I don't think its healthy to have your memory altered or erased. I didn't think he would do that. In fact the whole time I was in hospital I kept expecting Abby to tell her father and to be arrested at any moment."

"Why would you be arrested if anyone found out about Varanian?"

"What do you think will happen when everyone finds out about Varanian?"

"Well obviously he'll be arrested," Scorpius answered feeling slightly confused, he thought it went without saying, "get charged and go to Azkaban, not sure for how long but I reckon he'll probably die there or be too old when he gets out to remember his own name. With him gone then Hogwarts will go back to being what it was like before when it was good and no one got attacked."

"And you think Varanian's just going to confess and quietly going along with that? He's going to try to take everyone with him, the other staff he'll accuse will probably be suspended for awhile although as they genuinely don't know their names should be cleared. But I do know. I'm an adult and I didn't stop him, I'll be crucified, Scor. I will be arrested, they'll put me in Azkaban with the Dementors, lock me in the darkest hole imaginable and throw away the key, never to see the light of day again," Calderon told him sounding surprisingly calm considering what he was saying even if his expression was melancholy and his eyes were no longer looking at Scorpius, "I'll die there, Scor, its only a matter of time... It's poetic really... Keep hoping and waiting for Pippy to snap out of it, be himself again and stop but I don't know, I'm telling the Ministry if its not right by my birthday... Can just try to prepare everything for when I'm gone, enjoy what time I have left."

"Don't you think you're being a bit morbid? I don't think any of that would happen," Scorpius spoke up worriedly, he didn't want Calderon to go to Azkaban or die. Calderon shifted his focus back from nothing and laughed maniacally again, spinning around randomly as sparks of light flew around him for moment before he calmed back down but his smile remained.

"Sure, I probably am. You'll not be worrying about that when you have your Quidditch match though, I'm sure you'll have as much fun as the practices and maybe you can tell me all about it," Calderon said as his usual cheerfulness seemed to have returned and he started to walk away, "see you later."

"Wait, tell you about it?" Scorpius questioned anxiously as the assistant looked back at him, "won't... won't you be there?"

"Nah, I don't go to Quidditch matches. When I first started here I went to see the first one with the rest of the school, all the flying things kinda scared me, my nerves were shot back then and I lost control... everything kinda stopped. I immobilized the whole pitch, all the balls and the players were just floating slowly and gently like clouds... no one was very happy, Minerva and I both thought that it was best if I sat out matches from then on. I'm sure I told you that before?"

"But you wouldn't do that now?"

"I sure hope not!"

"So you _could_ come?"

"I... _could_," Calderon said very slowly as his smile became a scowl, "but I'd rather not risk it, I don't want to risk hurting anyone."

"But.. I..."

"You didn't think I'd be there, did you?"

"Well... yeah," Scorpius admitted staring miserably at the ground, everyone would be watching him except the one person he wanted to be there. He wasn't sure why it mattered so much but it did, he looked up to Calderon more than anyone and it was a comfort to think that he would be there, at least one person wouldn't care then whether he won or lost.

"Everyone else will be there, does it really matter if I am? Your friends will be cheering for you, your whole house - and a mixture of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw too, depending on which team they support - and all the teachers will be rooting for you too, you have plenty of support," Calderon pointed out with a comforting smile that Scorpius found he couldn't return, he had to bite his lip to stop himself saying _but not you, _"I'll be rooting for you from inside."

"It's fine," Scorpius heard himself saying as he forced another smile, "goodnight."

He left before Calderon could say anything else, his feet screaming in protest at the fast pace but he just wanted to be away. He hurried back to Gryffindor Tower and to his empty dormitory, closing all the drapes quickly and just lying there in worry. Even if he tried to shove aside Quidditch it just made him feel worse worrying about whether Calderon really could end up dead in Azkaban, worrying about his Aunt's letter and what Professor Ashain had said about the blood runes destroying the school's protection to replace it with its own. His worries chased themselves around inside his mind for the rest of the night, he wasn't sure that he slept at all but he hadn't changed out of his clothes.

"Wake up, Scorpius!" Albus yelled cheerfully in the morning.

"Yeah get up!" Reuben's voice added, "you have to win the match!"

"He better win the match!" Angelo called as Scorpius heard footsteps thundering down the stairs.

"Seriously, are you awake?" Albus asked to which Scorpius sighed before answering.

"I'm awake! I'll meet you at breakfast."

He heard Albus say okay and leave, he sighed again. He forced himself to get changed, wishing the ground would swallow him up so he wouldn't have to play. He almost considered refusing to play, he couldn't do that though. Molly and the team were counting on him, he couldn't let them down. They'd never win if James was Seeker and Scorpius knew that the Gryffindor would blame him for it somehow, just like he had for the howler. As he walked to the Great Hall it dawned on him that if he did win then he would be winning for the house he despised, he groaned as he plonked himself down next to his friends.

"Was about to come get you!" Cole said from somewhere and Scorpius glanced back up in time to get a plate of food dumped in front of him, "eat up, you'll need your strength."

"I'm not very hungry," Scorpius muttered truthfully.

"Captain's orders!" Cole announced with a smile as he clapped him on the back and went to go back to his seat, Scorpius frowned at the food.

"What's the matter, Malfoy?" James sneered from nearby, "finally realized you're a failing fraud?"

"Why? Is that's what bothering you?" Michael commented in a still raspy voice as he took the seat on Scorpius' other side, he still looked so frail.

"Hey dragon-breath, didn't realize you were still here," James said as he glowered at them both but smirked cruelly, "thought they'd have sent you to Romania to be studied by my Uncle Charlie by now like the other dragons, little short and ugly by dragon standards though aren't you?"

"Have you no shame?!" Albus snapped protectively as he glared at his brother, "he's been in the hospital for _three weeks_ because of you!"

"Well then maybe it'll teach him to not go around making friends with the wrong sort of people, Death Eaters are scum and anyone who follows them and _protects them_ deserve what they get. It's not my fault your friend's either suicidal or stupid enough to get in the way, from what I hear about his class performance its stupidity."

"Shut up!"

"Make me, traitor. Oh wait, you can't because Quiddich! The thing that I play and you don't because you suck."

"And what position do you play again? Seeker? Oh wait, you couldn't beat a first year for it!" Albus countered and James' eyes burned with anger as he stormed off, Albus sighed, "damn, now I feel bad."

* * *

_**Thanks to:** Grrrrrrr, Winged-panther1, Lucifersdaughter and Diddleymaz for reviewing!_


	45. I: The Match

"I can't believe how much of a bully he is in school," Abby said with a heavy sigh to Albus, "I mean he's always teasing everyone but sometimes he's downright cruel. Don't feel bad."

"I'll try," Albus muttered as they went back to their food, "so how are you, Michael?"

"Getting there slowly," Michael answered weakly but he was grinning as he started putting handfuls of toast and eggs on his plate, "excited to see a Quidditch match! And to eat real solid food again, although Madam Pomfrey says to try only eat bland foods as to not upset my stomach."

The conversation went back to normal, everyone in a better mood than usual. Except Scorpius. He had to force himself to eat the food, although he could have been swallowing lumps of rock for all he cared. He didn't think eating was a good idea though, his felt queasy from nerves. The fact that everyone around him was talking about the Quidditch match didn't help any, he glanced at the teacher's table and saw neither Varanian nor Professor Ashain were there, Calderon wasn't either but then he wasn't there for every meal and he never attended a meal that the headmaster wasn't at, its not like the assistant got to eat anything anyway. Despite Scorpius' best hopes, time didn't miraculously stop for him. Shockingly soon, he found himself surrounded by empty plates as people started shuffling out to get to the match.

"Scorpius!" a familiar voice called and for a second Scorpius thought he'd started hallucinating from stress before his father was hugging the breath from his body, "it's so good to see you! It's been so long."

"It's been less than three months," Scorpius corrected awkwardly as his father pulled away, smiling but as he looked at him and almost seemed about to hug him before the assortment of people must have put him off. He straightened quickly and cleared his throat, there was a flicker of embarrassment on his face before his smile returned. Scorpius wasn't hallucinating, people were looking at his father whose presence he was extremely confused by and he felt both horrified and happy at the prospect of being taken home so he wouldn't have to play, "what are you doing here?"

"You didn't think I'd miss your first Quidditch match, did you?" his father pointed out and Scorpius managed not to scowl, he didn't want his father to think he was ungrateful for the support but he was still confused, "your mother and grandparents would be here but apparently the school has a strict policy on family visiting, if your grandfather hadn't given the Ministry some useful information then I don't think I'd be allowed to be here at all."

"Good thing the Malfoys run the Ministry then and can do whatever they want then, isn't it?" Varanian grumbled angrily under his breath so quietly that Scorpius almost didn't hear, the headmaster was standing near his father with a head of fiery red hair and his arms folded moodily. Scorpius didn't think his father heard, if he did he gave absolutely no reaction.

"I guess," Scorpius said finally and managed a weak smile, he didn't want his father to think he wasn't glad to see him even if his father's arrival made him feel even more pressured, "it's good to see you, father. I hope I don't let you down."

"You could never let me down, Scorpius. I'm... I'm so proud of you anyway," his father told him gently before his eyes darted nervously around at the crowd, as if afraid of anyone hearing him admit that. The elder Malfoy seemed to notice some people watching them because he nodded behind Scorpius, "are those your friends?"

"Err..." Scorpius started and glanced back to see his four friends were indeed watching them, Abby looked nervous, Michael looked intrigued, Rose was scowling and Albus' eyes were writhing with hatred as he stared at his father, "yeah..."

"Aren't you going to introduce them?"

"Err..." Scorpius started again and mentally slapped himself, he wasn't ashamed of his friends and if his father didn't like it then his father would just have to not like it, it wasn't like he'd deliberately gone out and befriended everyone his grandfather had told him not to, they'd just kind of united because of Varanian and gotten to be friends. He motioned for his friends to come closer so he could introduce them, "yeah... This is Rose Weasley, Albus Potter, Abby Longbottom and Michael Sanford and everyone this is my father, Draco Malfoy."

Scorpius noticed how his father cringed slightly at every name - bar Michael's, but cringed slightly as he eyed the boy although whether he was disapproving of the muggle clothing or the state of Michael's health, Scorpius wasn't sure - but said nothing. Everyone said nothing. The silence was uncomfortable but Scorpius kept a strained smile and looked between the five, willing someone to speak up because he really would rather that his father and friends could at least be civil. Michael was the bravest or perhaps just the most tolerant, he cleared his throat and offered out his hand with a forced smile.

"Pleasure to meet you, sir," Michael said firmly but weakly in his raspy voice and to Scorpius' amazement and relief, his father shook the boy's hand and returned the forced smile.

"Likewise I'm sure, any friend of Scorpius' is alright by me."

"Even though they're the children of people you hate or mudbloods?" Scorpius blurted out before he could think better of it and his father's reaction thoroughly shocked him, from the looks on his friends and Varanian's faces it shocked them too.

"Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy! You_ know_ we don't use outdated terms like that, you don't listen to your grandfather and his nonsense about muggle-borns! You don't think like that, you can't!"

"I... I know... I... I don't... I... I didn't mean... I..." Scorpius stammered awkwardly, it was the first time his father had been angry at him since he'd gotten back and the first time he'd ever been angry at him for saying mudblood. Then again, he wasn't sure he'd said in front of his father before or that his father had ever said it, his grandfather was the one with the problem, his father was more tolerant but he still thought his father believed the same things, "I'm sorry."

His father's anger seemed to vanish as suddenly as it had appeared, his expression turned to one of concern and he was looking at Scorpius as if afraid he might shatter into a million pieces at any second for being told off. Scorpius was tempted to say that he was fine, he wasn't as weak as his family thought and he was quite capable of surviving being yelled at even if he was confused as to why. But he didn't and another awkward silence settled on them before Rose had a strange look as if realizing something, it made her beam.

"Well its great to finally meet you, Scorpius has told us such good things about you," Rose said cheerfully and he was forced to mask his confusion, he rarely spoke about his family and his other friends shared in his puzzlement as she started talking about how Scorpius apparently looked up to him - this made his father look worried more than anything else - before switching to Scorpius' academic achievements, it almost sounding like she was boasting except about him. This just confused him further but his father looked a little proud.

"Ashain!" Varanian snapped suddenly and Scorpius' attention was drawn away from the chatty Rose back to the headmaster as Professor Ashain tried to head to the Great Hall presumably to eat, the professor sighed and shot Varanian an irritated look.

"What did I do now?" Professor Ashain wondered sounding exasperated.

"Nothing, nothing. Did you want to see the Quidditch match?"

"Being on probation bans me from that according to your _five_ pages of rules."

"Are you still on probation? Consider it revoked," Varanian offered with a dismissive wave of his hand as his hair turned to curly bond.

"What do you want, Varanian?" Professor Ashain asked with another sigh.

"Watch Malfoy until I return," Varanian commanded and Scorpius saw his father definitely heard that even though Varanian had lowered his voice a bit, "he has to watch his son's game and I have something to attend to quickly. Don't let him out of your sight or you're fired, if he tries anything threatening then kill him, you're good at that."

"What?!" Draco Malfoy burst out angrily but Varanian just gave him a very cold look before walking away, "hey! What is his problem?! I really don't think I like him."

"Join the club."

"Scorpius!" Molly called and Scorpius saw her racing towards him and grabbing his arm, "come on, players need to be there before the audience!"

"I was just... err... this is my father," Scorpius said awkwardly and Molly cast a brief smile towards the other man.

"Nice to meet you, might want to make your way to the stands if you want to get a good spot, bye! Come on, Scorpius!"

Scorpius barely had time to wave goodbye and hear their wishes of luck as he pulled away, they tore through the castle and Scorpius discovered that Molly was an incredibly fast runner. She slowed the pace as they got further away, probably realizing they should be preserving their strength for the match but she kept her grip on his hand and led him slightly like a child. He could have been annoyed but something about holding her hand gave him a warm feeling inside, he'd never a held a girl's hand before. Not outside of family anyway. He was disappointed when she seemed to realize and hastily let go. He mentally slapped himself again, why on Earth would he be disappointed?

"Sorry, I was just afraid you weren't coming or James had hexed you into a tree or something so he could take over," Molly apologized as they made it outside to the grounds, "Captain Cole's rather excited to be making his first pep-talk and he'd rather we all be there too."

Scorpius could do nothing but nod as they made their way to the locker rooms, the rest of the team were already there and so was his broom. Excited may have been an understatement for Cole though, he practically bouncing off the floor and beaming from ear-to-ear with a very toothy smile, with his mass of hair covering his eyes it actually looked like he was all smile and hair.

He tried to listen to the speech as Cole went over their strategy and giving them a long-winded speech about victory and trying their best, that he believed in all of them, Gryffindor could win... Scorpius zoned out then. He didn't want to listen to anymore, the pep-talk just made him even more pressured. Cole wanted to win so badly, it was the only year he'd get to prove himself as Captain and the last time that the two other Chasers would be on the team and they were good to him, they deserved a win. Freddie, Molly, his friends, his father, most of the teachers he was close to, the entire Gryffindor house - minus maybe James' friends - were all expecting him to catch the Snitch. What if he didn't? What if he failed? What if Nott really was better than him? What if he did catch it but Gryffindor were too far behind for it make a difference and he was blamed for the failure? It wasn't like he was rooting for the house he'd got stuck in, he wanted to win for completely different reasons. He wished Cole's speech would never end.

He would be even more despised in school, people would debate whether he failed on purpose or failed because he is just a crazy weirdo who can't do anything right. He would be kicked off the team and never get to go to Quidditch practice again, they would hate him the most. His friends would probably not be his friends anymore, they'd feel ashamed for even being friends with him in the past. James would smirk and laugh, tell him that he was right all along about Scorpius being a cheat and a failure, even though he was wrong but no one would believe the truth then. His father's reaction would be the worst, his father _who was in the stands at that very moment_ would be there to see him fail. He'd see the crushing disappointment in his father's eyes, confirming every belief that Scorpius was weak and broken and ruined and incapable of everything, the only child he had left was... nothing. He didn't want to let his father down. He didn't want to let anyone down.

"I'm sorry, father," Scorpius sighed.

"Why are you sorry?" Molly wondered with a raised eyebrow and he reddened as he realized that she'd heard him.

"Because... I'm probably going to fail and disappoint him."

"Scorpius," Molly said gently with a weak smile as she shook her head, "you have a father who loves you enough to come to your first Quidditch match to support you, do you really think he'd be disappointed if you don't catch the Snitch? Or do you think he'd be proud that you tried, that you made the team in your very first year? It doesn't matter if we lose."

"But-" Scorpius started to protest worriedly even if what she was saying up until it not mattering had been making sense.

"The world won't end if we lose a Quidditch match. You know Gryffindor lost in the first game I played in? 180-70, I let in three goals and kicked myself for it for weeks after," Molly interrupted and Scorpius blinked in surprise, "but I learned from my mistakes and now I'm a better player for it, if we lose then we just get up and try again."

"Thanks," Scorpius offered with a weak smile that she returned and they went back to listening to the end of Captain Cole's speech.

He was feeling slightly less nervous by the time it was time to play although his stomach still felt like it was in knots as they walked onto the pitch, the crowd cheered and Scorpius became all too aware of the thousand eyes on him. He gripped his broom firmly as they rose into the air, rising to be opposite the undefeated Slytherin Seeker, Kyle Nott. He'd barely seen the boy since he'd defeated him on the train, he seemed to have been growing his hair longer than since but otherwise seemed the same. Kyle was smirking in a way that reminded him of James, Scorpius got the impression that Kyle didn't think he'd be much competition.

"And what a fantastic match we have for today folks! Gryffindor versus Slytherin!" the commentator's voice echoed over the roar of the crowd, he wasn't sure who was speaking but it was a girl's voice and Scorpius managed not to roll his eyes, he didn't understand house pride as he hated his house although his dislike for the Nott brothers put him off Slytherin too, "Gryffindor has a particularly interesting team this year, after the departure of the brilliant, beautiful yet brutal Beater Victoire Weasley the team is now led by Sixth Year Chaser Cole Stampson, the Chasers all remain the same as last year which will make things tough for the Third Year Slytherin Keeper, Nick Longbottom! The Gryffindor Keeper is also a Third Year, Molly Weasley - fun fact, both Keepers are related to Hogwarts Professors who belong to the opposing houses! - and her Fourth Year cousin Freddie Weasley returns also as Beater and yet another Weasley cousin takes over for Vic, Second Year James Potter who is also the eldest son of the famous Harry Potter! The son of two incredible Seekers, its amazing he didn't get the position of Seeker which went to Scorpius Malfoy! A mere First Year, the youngest player on the team since James' father! How will do against the undefeated Slytherin Fourth Year Seeker Kyle Nott?!"

Scorpius zoned out at that point, he didn't want to listen to people saying things about him although he was curious which professor she was related to. He closed his eyes and Calderon's voice appeared in his mind even though it was now nothing to do with magic_, focus_, he took a deep breath and opened his eyes again. It made him feel oddly comforted even though it was a vague memory and he was reminded that he was on a broom in the air, he'd beaten James on the very same pitch, he could do this. He had to. Madam Hooch was now holding the Quaffle. This was it. Now or never.

She flung the Quaffle into the air and the match began.

The start of match chaos seemed to erupt around him as the colorful Chasers fought to get the Quaffle and everyone else surged to avoid the Bludgers as they bolted into the crisp, cold air. Scorpius found a Bludger after him almost immediately until Freddie whacked it away from him, winking before he whizzed away.

Kyle began darting around looking for the Snitch while Scorpius just rose higher to get an overview look of the pitch, he didn't catch a golden glimpse as he'd been hoping, he didn't want it to be a long match. It was different to the practices, he was oddly thrown by the different colors of the two teams as during practices there was only red figures on brooms to look out. It made it easier to keep track of what was happening, even without the commentator's voice still blasting out.

It was also the first time he'd seen any of the Slytherin team play, he didn't think the Chasers were particularly good compared to what he was used to seeing - or at least not as coordinated - but Nick made a surprisingly good Keeper, Scorpius was impressed until he blew a kiss to the crowd after his fifth save, relishing in the praise and attention he was getting, he rolled his eyes at Abby's brother. Molly was much better than him, she'd stopped every attempt on the rings too but had just had less to stop because the Slytherin Chasers weren't as good, which was probably why Kyle was so important on the team as they needed the Snitch to make up for the lack of goals. The Beaters were better though, the one had a ferocious swing and the other was scrawnier but had an incredibly good aim, perhaps even better than Freddie and certainly better than James - although considering James had a habit of 'accidentally' hitting Bludgers at him, it made it hard to tell whether he would be good if he tried properly.

His eyes caught a flash of gold on the opposite side of the pitch to where Kyle was and he dived for it, the broom arching beautifully towards the flash that became Snitch-sized as he got closer. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed movement, making a split-second decision he yanked the handle to move out of the way and a Bludger sped by his ear. Scorpius felt a slightly stab of panic, if he hadn't moved then the Bludger would have hit him square in the head, he hadn't known it was a Bludger when he'd moved. He glanced around and saw the scrawny Seeker grinning at him, he saluted with the bat and Scorpius looked back but the Snitch had moved out of sight, he hadn't hit Scorpius but he had stopped him from getting the Snitch. That time at least.

He flew back up to his post just in time to see Cole get the first goal of the match in, tricking Nick with a feint and pretending to be scoring for one of the hoops and then tossing it instead into the furthest one from them both, it was an impressive throw and the crowd went wild.

Scorpius went back to looking for the Snitch, scanning the field from above until he noticed another glimmer of gold at the same time that Kyle seemed to notice it from below. They both sped towards it, getting closer and closer and Scorpius half-expected the older boy to fly away for fear of crashing into him but he didn't. At the last second the Snitch shot towards the left and both Seekers veered towards it, rising to be in the same level as they flew after it. Kyle's arms were longer but Scorpius' broom was faster so they were fairly even, their finges were almost touching as they reached for the tiny golden ball.

His heart was thundering in his ears, he as so close he could feel the wind from its wings caressing the tips of his fingers teasingly. He pushed the broom harder and the Snitch moved faster to avoid him, he was now overtaking Kyle who must have realized that on their current path Scorpius would be the victor.

Violently Kyle slammed his elbow into Scorpius' face with enough force to throw him backwards, if he hadn't been gripping his so tightly then he would have been knocked off. As it was, Scorpius' grip saved him but the moment still made him spin around backwards twice before he managed to right himself. The only upside was that in distracting Scorpius, Kyle had also distracted himself and had lost the Snitch as well as getting fouled. Scorpius felt wetness on his cheek and put his fingers to his face, thinking it was starting to rain but his fingers came back crimson. Kyle's arm guard had cut him, that never happened in practice.

He flew back to his spot in the air to resume looking but was distracted by the rest of the game, one of the Slytherin's was getting ready to attempt to score and Molly was wavering in position to stop him. The ferocious Slytherin Beater seemed to notice this and he whacked the bat at a nearby Bludger, it hurtled toward Molly at the same time as the Quaffle did. She couldn't avoid the Bludger without letting the Quaffle through, her jaw became determinedly set as she seemed to decide stopping the ball was worth it. She stopped the Quaffle and the Bludger slammed into her outstretched arm, he saw the pain on her face as her arm snapped unnaturally back at the elbow, she looked like she bit her tongue hard to stop herself from crying out, he wasn't sure whether the snap sound he heard was real or just his imagination but it looked painful. She clutched the misshapen arm to her chest, breathing heavily and looked extremely pale. Cold seemed to say something to her but whatever he said she shook her head violently at and determinedly centered herself between the rings once more, calling back a reply that he assumed was something of the lines of her deciding to carry on playing.

Everything seemed to spill out of his mind like water out of a cup, nothing mattered now except catching that Snitch to end the game so Molly could get medical attention for her arm. While attention had been on Molly getting injured, Kyle must have spotted the Snitch because he seemed to be diving for it.

Scorpius plunged after him and Scorpius was faster, his hand was outstretched to catch it, his fingers ghosted the wings before he felt something smash into his head. The force knocked him into Kyle and he screamed from both pain and frustration, he gripped his broom tightly with his hands to stay his balance through the pain in his head and tried to glance around in confusion. His one eye was refusing to open and the other one seared with pain with just a flicker of an eyelid, but he saw just enough to see the hint of a smirk on James' face. James was still trying to make him lose? In a _real_ match?! Didn't he care that his cousin was hurt? Didn't he care for his stupid beloved house? Was now really the time for a petty grudge?!

"-oh no!" the commentator's voice rang out and Scorpius just hung their numbly in the air, he'd failed everyone, "Potter accidentally hits that Bludger into Malfoy rather than Nott! I think it may have just lost Gryffindor the match, Malfoy looks hurt and Nott is almost upon the Sn-"

"Over my dead body," Scorpius breathed as it dawned on him that he still had a chance

He forced the broom to continue downwards, hurtling through the air. He knew it was stupid the second he dived, he could barely see as it was. The intensity of the pain in his head only worsened and his skull was ringing, the world surged dizzily around him, so bad his stomach heaved and he felt like he was about to throw up. But he didn't stop. He reached out his right hand, everything was starting to go dark which was leaving with just a sliver of vision and it was of the Snitch. He gripped the broom tightly with his left hand, the scar on his wrist seared in agony as he rocketed forwards.

He was so close. His eyes closed against his will. He was losing consciousness, he could feel his body started to slip from his control. With his last ounce of strength he snatched the Snitch out of the sky, he grasped the tiny ball and clutched it to his chest. He'd caught it. For his father, for his family, for his friends, for himself, he could tell them he wasn't a failure now. He won. The hand on his broom felt so slippery and he couldn't hold it, he could feel himself falling but he smiled as he finally lost consciousness. No one could take that from him.

* * *

_**Thanks to:** Diddleymaz, Aya Diefair and Winged-panther1 for reviewing!_


	46. I: Disturbing Dreams

_He was back in the room. His left wrist was handcuffed to the bedpost. He was trapped. He could hear the TV. He was reaching for the lamp beside the bed, he wasn't sure why as he didn't remember doing that before. His fingers brushed the lamp, they seemed strange somehow, smaller than his hands should be and the skin seemed colorless more so than pale, some of the veins were visible beneath the skin._

_He finally grabbed the lamp, it was a lot heavier than he'd thought but he managed to slam the end into the handcuff anyway, he was aiming for the chain links. He hit it again and again and again. His arm was hurting from the force of the blows and his other arm was hurting from the occasional glancing blow but he couldn't give up, he had to get away somehow. He heard himself crying, he just wanted to go home. _

_He brought it down again but this time something was different, there was a burst of pain from his cuffed wrist as the lamp collided with the chain magical sparks flung off it and the link snapped cleanly in two. He blinked in surprise for a moment, amazed that he'd done it before carefully placing his bare feet onto the dusty floorboards. He felt drained from his efforts with the lamp, when had been the last time he'd been allowed eat? He wiped his eyes and shoved it all mentally aside, he just had to focus on escaping and force himself to be strong. He stood up on shaky legs but pushed himself onwards to the door, turning the handle and to his horror realizing it was locked. _

Alohomora_, he thought as he recalled the spell that Professor Ashain had used to unlock the door. Immediately his left cuffed wrist glowed and he cried out in pain as a burst of magic shot through him and into the lock, the door started to open. That was weird._

_"Thank you, strange voice in my head... I think," his mouth spoke but his voice wasn't his own. He was confused as he tried to rub his wrist at the receding pain and slipped out into the corridor._

_He peered down into both directions with eyes that seemed to have a sharper focus than usual, he didn't know which way to go but at least no one seemed to have heard. He guessed left and hurried away, terrified at any moment that he might run into someone but there didn't seem to be anyone around. He was glad. He was so scared, his heart was pounding so much that he half expected it to jump out of his chest as he crept through the house. _

_He heard snoring coming from one of the rooms on the second floor and took that as a good sign but he heard voices when he reached the ground floor, fearfully he tiptoed off the stairs and heard Joel's voice talking on the phone from a room off to the right which looked like the kitchen as he could see a fridge through the crack in the door. Joel was Marvin's older brother, he hated him just as much.  
_

_He decided to risk moving, the front door was directly in front of him, all he needed to do was get outside and he'd be okay. He could scream and shout and run for help, it didn't matter if Joel grabbed him because other people would have to see and help. He just had to get out that door. He was so close.  
_

_He walked over to it as quietly as he could and undid the latch, to his amazement and relief the door wasn't locked from the outside. He stepped back and pulled the door open fully, he could see the street outside, he could see other houses, cars, he could feel the wind on his face for the first time in months. He felt a surge of happiness and almost smiled as he ran towards the exit._

_The second his body touched the doorway there was a flash of light and he felt his body flung violently backwards far enough back so he was almost at the stairs he'd just came down, footsteps were thundering and the phone conversation seemed to have stopped. He scrambled to his feet with tears streaming down his face again, he couldn't fail now, not when he was so close. They were just muggles, why couldn't he get through the door? He charged at it again and was again thrown back, this time he thudded against a man and hands grabbed him roughly from behind._

Scorpius woke with a start, it was such a strange dream and for a moment he was even more confused by where he was, he wasn't in his bed in the dormitory. He started to sit up and realized he was in the hospital wing, his father beamed when he saw he was awake. Things started coming back to him, the match, the Snitch, the Bludger, Molly getting hurt... He glanced around and saw Professor Ashain was sitting at the end of the bed looking tired, Abby was sitting beside him reading, Michael was talking to Madam Pomfrey about something as they walked up the room and he noticed Molly in another nearby bed, Albus and Rose were with her.

Everything felt strange somehow, almost surreal compared to the vividness of the dream. He felt so detached, distant compared to everything and everyone else around him. He supposed that was probably what happened when you took a Bludger to the head. Regardless he went to pinch himself to make sure he hadn't just slipped into another dream and was actually still lying on the pitch unconscious or something, he blinked in surprise as he moved his hand, he was clutching the Golden Snitch.

"I-I caught the Snitch?" Scorpius wondered in amazement, he'd actually started to assume that he'd just dreamed he'd caught it as he'd been losing consciousness but Professor Ashain and Abby both nodded and smiled, "I thought I imagined it."

"No, Nott was reaching for it and you swiped it before he could touch it, it was amazing! You caught it, you won the game for Gryffindor!" Abby told him excitedly, "even more impressive as you did it with your eyes closed!"

"Good," Scorpius muttered and allowed himself a smile before it became a scowl as he realized someone was missing, "where's my father?"

"He had to leave," Professor Ashain said as he lost his smile, "Varanian was insistent."

"Yeah, he was only supposed to stay for the match and Varanian wouldn't let him stay until you woke up," Abby added giving him a sympathetic look as Michael came over to them, "you dad didn't really want to leave, he refused and tried to convince Varanian to let him stay and I think Varanian was considering it for awhile until he asked what Varanian would do if it was his son and then... Varanian kinda flew into a rage and threatened to expel you if he didn't leave."

"Oh," Scorpius sighed, it would have been nice to say goodbye. Damn Varanian, "how's Molly?"

"Broken arm," Michael answered in his still raspy voice even though he was smiling, "Madam Pomfrey repaired it, she just has to go easy on the arm and stay the night as she had a woozy reaction to the healing. We were actually more worried about you, head injures are tricky. How are you feeling?"

"Um... okay, my head doesn't hurt at all," Scorpius offered and debated mentioning how weird he felt, afraid they'd ask how he'd slept and he couldn't talk to them about his dream. He tried to put both out of his mind, his dream was stupid and the weird feeling would hopefully go away by itself, "so how did you like Quidditch?"

Michael launched into an excited account of the game, Scorpius realized it was probably similar to what he sounded like when he went on about how great Quidditch practice was but at least Michael was happy about something and congratulated Scorpius repeatedly on winning the game. The three Weasley cousins had come over to his bed by the time Michael was finished, all three also seemed just as ecstatic and determined to congratulate him as much as possible. He managed to feel immensely proud of himself and extremely embarrassed by the attention at the same time but he was glad they were in good spirits, as well as being pleased that Molly was alright.

He did glean some new information from the excited ramble, it was evening and he'd been unconscious most of the day which was a lot longer than he'd initially thought and that everyone thought that James had only hit him by accident, that he'd been 'trying' to hit Kyle. A part of him wanted to correct them but he couldn't exactly prove it, it would just be his word against James' after all and he thought it would ruin the mood. Besides, he'd won despite James' attempt to sabotage him and he was sure that was driving James crazy. After a bit Madam Pomfrey came over to chase Molly back into a bed, apparently she was supposed to be resting to which Molly gave a frustrated eye roll but obediently returned to her bed albeit with a grumpy expression. It was around then that he noticed that Professor Ashain was no longer with them, he scowled.

"What happened to Professor Ashain?" Scorpius wondered aloud and his friends stopped talking to glance around, not seeming to have noticed his absence either.

"Probably went back to... wherever teachers go when they're not in class or meals," Albus offered with a shrug, "when your dad left he said it was on the condition that someone stay with you until you wake up, Ashain volunteered. Guess he left now that you're okay, probably to eat since he missed all meals."

"It would have been nice to say goodbye, is no one allowed to say goodbye to me today?"

"Don't worry about it. Do you want to hear the other good news?"

"I didn't realize there was any."

"That's because we couldn't say anything in front of Molly," Rose spoke up and glanced back to make sure that her cousin was indeed out of earshot and not listening in, from the bored way Molly was strumming her fingers and on the table and yawning it didn't seem like she was, "well you remember the letter we've been trying to figure out to send about Varanian?"

"Of course," Scorpius confirmed and felt suddenly like someone had stabbed him in the heart with ice, "what about it?"

"Well we didn't want to risk telling your dad while he was still in Hogwarts, you know in case Varanian tried anything but I got the letter," Rose continued with an excitement to rival the Quidditch, Scorpius just felt the ice twist deeper, "he knows about my dad being injured because its in all the papers, I said I would really like to get that letter to him but hated the delays - he hates them too - so I asked if he would send it for me tomorrow, even offered to pay him and everything. He said yes! Yes! Handed off the letter so we should be rid of Varanian sometime tomorrow probably, Dad wouldn't ignore a letter from me and they'll get right on. Isn't it great?"

Scorpius forced himself to nod but his good mood was evaporated as he recalled his conversation with Calderon from the previous day, was the assistant really in danger of Azkaban for knowing? Varanian _was_ the kind to go down fighting and he _had_ threatened to destroy Calderon if he dared turn against him before, Calderon had mentioned Varanian intending to accuse other teachers too but was sure their names would be cleared. But what if they weren't? What if the Ministry sent the lot of them to Azkaban and they all died? How many teachers had Varanian been intent of trying to take down with him? What was the point in stopping Varanian if a bunch of innocent people went to Azkaban with him? Was it worth destroying lives just to spare themselves? Calderon was sure he'd die.

"Are you okay?" Michael asked gently and Scorpius realized he'd been quiet for awhile, he'd completely zoned out. Had they been talking?

"I'm just tired," Scorpius offered, it wasn't a complete lie. He'd felt drained ever since he'd woken up even if it wasn't why he'd zoned out.

"Well then you should get some rest," Madam Pomfrey announced loudly, appearing from somewhere and starting to shoo his friends away, "you'll sleep here so I can keep an eye on you for tonight, just to be sure your head's alright. The rest of you, out."

"Can I leave?" Molly quipped hopefully which earned her a stern look, "worth a try."

Madam Pomfrey handed him his pajamas, he assumed one of his friends had fetched them earlier or she'd conjured them from his dormitory. She pulled dividers around his bed to give him some privacy and left him to change, he managed to feel more comfortable and less comfortable at the same time knowing there was only women in the room beyond the drapes.

He was so tired that he did actually sleep for a bit, he seemed to slip in and out of half-remembered dreams about Calderon dying and the Hogwarts staff being trapped in Azkaban when Varanian swore revenge. Finally he gave up and sighed heavily, feeling miserable and everything still felt surreal.

"You awake?" Molly asked and he glanced across the darkness to see she had moved to a closer bed, she was now only one bed down from him opposite so it was easier to talk.

"Disturbing dreams," Scorpius admitted before he could consider whether it was good idea.

"Tell me about it, last night I was dreaming about this creepy dark chamber with this creepy ugly statue and weirdly enough one of the things that the Shadows stole, weird right?"

"One of the things they stole?"

"Yeah, you know how I said they steal things? Magical artifacts mostly, things related to the Dark Arts or potion ingredients. This was about this blood rune obelisk thing," Molly told him conversationally and he was instantly alert.

"The Shadows stole a blood rune obelisk?"

"Yep. Its like one of the only intact ones left in the world, it was being moved from Greece to here for study and they stole it at the very start of Summer or the very end of Spring, I forget exactly when but it was around exam time. I don't know what its supposed to do but its worth a lot, in my dream the runes on it were turning red with I guess creepily was blood when someone put their hand on this rune - Tiwaz! That's what it was, thank you Ancient Runes! - but someone was screaming no. There was this little black orb perched on top of the point of the obelisk too, it was just disturbing."

"It sounds it," Scorpius admitted worriedly, cycling through the implications that the obelisk Varanian had was the stolen one.

"You shouldn't be having bad dreams though, not after we won! Didn't I tell you that you could beat Kyle with your eyes closed and one hand behind your back?"

"Yes, I think you did," Scorpius said and he managed to weakly return her smile through his worry, he wished he was holding her hand then. He immediately mentally slapped himself for that thought, what possessed him to think that?!

"Stop talking and sleep," Madam Pomfrey complained as she came out of her office to check on them.

They both went silent and he thought Molly seemed to fall asleep after awhile, she stopped tossing and turning eventually and her body went still, an incredibly peaceful expression on her face. He tore his eyes away from her and went back to gazing at the ceiling but sleep refused to come to him again.

He kept thinking of Varanian and Calderon and the letter. He wondered what time it was, how long would it be before his father was posting the letter? How long before Rose's dad was reading? How long before their sleepy school Sunday would be torn apart by Aurors rushing in to arrest Varanian and anyone else he accused? Varanian _had_ to be stopped. His friends deserved to be safe as did the rest of the school, especially if Varanian was involved with the Shadows, their lives could be in danger. But then... what if it did more harm than good? What if Varanian accusing the teachers did get them in trouble and no one was left to protect the school? Maybe the Shadows wanted Varanian wanted Calderon in Azkaban, after all he had saved everyone on the train they'd sabotaged and healed the victims of the attack on the Leaky Cauldron, maybe they wanted him out of the way?

Guilt gnawed at his insides and terror ate at his heart. What should he do? Let Rose's dad get the letter and wait for all Hell to break loose or try to stop it somehow and protect Varanian? He had so many questions and no answers and no time. Maybe Varanian wasn't so bad, maybe he was the lesser of two evils, he had apologized for those random few days he'd been nice and in pain. He was only hurting his friends for the stupid wards, maybe when they were done then he really wouldn't hurt anyone else and he probably wouldn't activate the blood rune things anyway. Professor Ashain thought it was a bad idea and he'd need to kill someone, Varanian wouldn't kill himself, besides he still needed an orb to make it work and what were the odds he'd have all three?

Shakily he got out of bed and slipped his feet into his shoes, he teetered on the edge of the bed for a long moment that seemed to last a lifetime. He could at least warn Calderon, he couldn't just let him die. He couldn't. He headed towards the exit, Madam Pomfrey came out to complain but he said he was going to the toilet and she relented but told him to be quick.

He didn't go to the toilet though. He hurried through the corridors fearfully, jumping at every ghost and portrait he passed. He used his knowledge of the secret passageways he'd gleaned from Calderon to use them as much as possible, decrease his risk of being seen and he missed Albus' invisibility cloak. He wasn't far from Calderon's room when he heard voices and pressed himself against hurriedly behind a wall.

"- so now there's no chance of anyone finding it," Varanian was saying.

"I still think its a bad idea, can't you just stop with the blood rune stuff? _Please_ Pippy," Calderon pleaded worriedly in reply, their voices sounded like they were drawing closer.

"For the millionth time, no! Dammit Marius, don't you want to protect the school? The wards are nearly complete and now the obelisk is now secured."

"Feeding first years to blood-sucking stones doesn't seem very protective to me."

"Sacrifices must be made!" Varanian snapped angrily, they were definitely getting closer, "that's the whole point, the willingness to sacrifice matters more than the sacrifice itself, its a powerful thing. If you weren't a murderer then it could be you."

"I-"

"I don't care, Tommy, I told you before I don't want to know how your soul became gray. I have a hard enough time trusting you as the son of Death Eaters without knowing what you did to taint your soul, let's not risk losing that balance in our friendship by hearing what you did. Constantly disagreeing with me doesn't help your cause."

"Maybe next time I'll just let you burn," Calderon grumbled as their voices seemed to be fading, Scorpius looked round the bend and saw them turning up another corridor.

"No you wouldn't, you would have tried to save Voldemort. You're incapable of-"

"Wait!" Scorpius called out desperately rushing after them before they got too far away and he lost his nerve, both men turned to face him in surprise. Varanian immediately looked furiously and Calderon just looked sad, and was covered in dirt and grime and damp for some reason.

"What in the world are you doing?!" Varanian yelled angrily, "following people around like a sneaky creepy little evil-"

"I'm trying to warn you!" Scorpius yelled back and Varanian just looked confused, "my father has a letter detailing what you've done, if you don't stop him from sending it tomorrow then it'll go to the Aurors and you'll go to Azkaban."

* * *

_**Author's Note: **Okay sorry this took so long, had to split this chapter because its getting too long but I have been waiting so long to get to this bit I'm really excited to write it. I actually am just posting this so you have something to read while I get back to writing, reviewers you will get a named thanks and address next chapter I promise but for now a general thanks to everyone!  
_


	47. I: The Obelisk

_**Thanks to: **Guest, Aya Diefair, Winged-panther1, Diddleymaz, Me and Lucifersdaughter for reviewing!_

_**Author's Note: **Okay I wanted to clear up something that Winged-panther1 mentioned about Varanian having McGonagall's job, I think Calderon mentions it briefly early on but just to be clear. I read somewhere that in an interview JK Rowling said McGonagall had been Headmistress for awhile but wasn't by the time of the epilogue, its what gave me the whole idea for Varanian. So for the purposes of my story, McGonagall took over as Headmistress after Snape and retired three years previously but after a year she got bored of retirement (it happens, I know real life examples) and came back on to teach but not as Headmistress so that's why she's a teacher still. (Also to Aya Diefair, Hogwarts is like a high school and kids pretty much outgrow cootie fears by then and Ginny had a crush on Harry at 11 so it does actually happen in canon universe then its not too much of a stretch, about the flickering because he's got a lot on his mind and I don't know if its just me but my thoughts jump around a lot if I have a lot on my mind and that's what I'm trying to show for Scorpius but must be doing it badly, sorry about the skimming bits, didn't realize I was doing that so I'll try not to) Sorry this chapter took so long, I was up all night writing it so I thought I should get some sleep and come back and check it over to make sure I didn't screw it up because its a really important chapter  
_

* * *

"Why are you telling him that?" Calderon wondered with a strangely disapproving look on his face and Varanian shot him a dark look before he went back to looking at Scorpius, an immensely thoughtful expression came over his face as he seemed to be trying to decide what to do.

Scorpius didn't answer. He felt terrible enough as it was and he just hung his head, he didn't know whether he'd done the right thing or not. It felt like he'd betrayed his friends but then the thought of staying in bed and waiting for things to happen made him feel like he was betraying Calderon, even if Calderon didn't look particularly pleased with him at that moment. He didn't think there was a right thing to do in the situation, or maybe he just couldn't tell what was right or wrong anymore. He felt awful.

"There's nothing we can do," Varanian said eventually and Scorpius finally raised his head, "short of breaking into the Malfoy home to destroy it before then, that seems like a worse idea."

"You can't do anything?!" Scorpius burst out angrily, he'd betrayed his friends and Varanian wasn't even going to do anything?!

"I'm not all powerful," Varanian growled glaring at him again, his hair was darker than Calderon's, "I have an idea though. Come on both of you, we have to get to the obelisk."

Calderon started to protest but Varanian was already going back the way he'd came and Scorpius raced after him, Calderon kept asking for answers but the headmaster's jaw was set determinedly as he led them. Eventually Calderon gave up and they just walked in silence with red balls of light floating around them. To Scorpius' surprise Varanian led them to a girl's bathroom, he was sure the headmaster was insane now.

"Open it," Varanian commanded as they stopped in front of a sink.

"Why?!"

"We can't just leave the obelisk down there to be found by anyone, we have to destroy it or seal it off so no one can ever use it for evil. The Shadows are after the school, Marius, we can't just leave it here to fall into the wrong hands," Varanian said sounding very sincere.

Calderon's expression was unreadable and Scorpius was just plain confused, Varanian was being sounding strangely human for once even if he had no idea what they were talking about, it was not the reaction he'd been expecting from Varanian or Calderon. He couldn't see the obelisk and a girl's bathroom was a stupid place to hide- something clicked inside his brain, recalling Albus' story of his father's adventures in Hogwarts. Hadn't he said the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets was in a girl's bathroom?

"I really don't think anyone's going to find it down there, Varanian. Only a few people know how to get down there, even less people know about the obelisk and even less people are Parselmouths."

"You want to stake the safety of the school on the bet that you're the only Parselmouth in the world? Malfoy is a former Death Eater, there's loads of former Death Eaters unaccounted for who are probably involved with the Shadows too - Seraph, the Lestrange brothers, Avery for example - Voldemort could easily have told them."

"He didn't just go around telling everyone and none of those people were Parselmouths, being former Death Eaters doesn't mean they're now Shadows and for the record, Rodolphus Lestrange is dead," Calderon said as he rubbed his arm.

"You can't know any of that for sure! Its better to be safe than sorry."

For a moment Scorpius wasn't sure whether Calderon would do it or not, he wasn't sure what he would prefer. Very slowly Calderon turned back to the sink and made a hissing noise. In response one of the taps glowed with a white light before the sink started to move downwards leaving a large pipe exposed, Scorpius gasped.

"Let's go then," Varanian barked and gestured for them to go into the pipe.

"Why does Scor have to be here?"

"He doesn't I suppose," Varanian stated with a snort of irritation, "go then, go back and crawl into bed like the little weak coward you are, Scorpius. Say goodbye to Marius, probably the last time you'll see either of us."

"I'd rather stay," Scorpius spoke up glaring at Varanian.

"It's safer and better if you g-"

Scorpius didn't even wait for Calderon to finish his sentence before he jumped into the pipe, he didn't want to miss what was happening. It was cold and slimy, Scorpius noticed as he found himself hurtling down into the darkness, further and further, and further. He was starting to wonder if he would ever stop sliding when the sloping became more gentle and finally evened out as he was thrown out of the pipe and onto damp floor.

He got to his feet quickly and moved forwards to look around in the darkness, he wished he'd thought to bring his wand, _Lumos_ would be incredibly useful then. He couldn't help but feel some sense of amazement at being inside _the_ Chamber of Secrets, Albus would be insanely excited when he told him and might even forgive him for trying to warn Varanian but considering how they couldn't do anything and he'd be arrested anyway then maybe everything would be okay. Varanian seemed to be more reasonable than usual at that moment, maybe he'd listen to whatever shred of decency he had left and wouldn't try to drag everyone down with him after all. He'd just let himself be arrested, his tyranny would be over and everyone would be safe, students, teachers and Calderon alike.

"Do you ever listen to me?!" Calderon complained and Scorpius glanced back to see the two men had emerged, Varanian had his wand out and must have done something to stop himself getting covered in slime like both he and Calderon were.

"I always listen to you," Scorpius pointed out quietly but Calderon still looked annoyed and unconvinced.

"Come on," Varanian called as he started to lead the way, his wand lit up against the darkness and they both followed.

"You don't act like you listen to me," Calderon continued irritably but the lights around him were no longer red, Scorpius realized tiny animal bones littering the floor, he cringed slightly in disgust, "just once when I tell you to wait or go back, _do it_. By all accounts you got hit in the head by an iron ball, you're in your _pajamas_ and I'm guessing without you wand, do you really think you're in any state to be wandering around in the Chamber of Secrets?"

"Well... I did get healed," Scorpius said timidly but when Calderon put it like that, it did seem a bit silly, "but I want to know what's going on, I want to help, I want to stay with you. I don't know what's going to happen."

"If you wanted to help then you should have done what I say. What were you doing trying to warn Varanian anyway? When did you stop hating him?"

"I didn't... I just wanted to warn you because I don't want you to go to Azkaban and die, I was trying to protect you - and don't say I could have protected you more by staying back because that's not true. You were with Varanian and he asked why and... I was trying to do what I thought was right, I didn't think I'd get another chance so it just kind of came out."

"Well next time don't do anything. And _never_ try to protect me, Scorpius."

Scorpius hung his head miserably as he walked, not really knowing why Calderon was being so mean to him when he'd been trying to help him. He shivered at the cold and felt a sudden warmth, he glanced back up and saw Calderon holding out his hand, light spreading over him and warming him up. He offered his thanks but Calderon said nothing, he didn't think Calderon could completely hate him if he was trying to shield him from the cold.

Calderon hissed something else and Scorpius looked back ahead to see a door opening to reveal a long dimly lit chamber, Varanian wasted no time in heading up it with them following. Calderon laughed his high-pitched laugh so abruptly and for no apparent reason that Scorpius nearly jumped, Varanian shot a dark look over his shoulder.

"Do you have to do that _every_ time you walk into this room?" Varanian complained.

"I don't know, I haven't been here a lot so its not like its a lot of times to go on," Calderon said, sounding much more like himself and strangely enthusiastic, "Salazar Slytherin built this chamber himself, one of the greatest wizards of his time - despite his unfortunate views - and its... strange to think we're walking in the footsteps of such a famous figure in history where such few people have ever been, after all only his heirs have ever found this place - with a few exceptions - I don't why it makes me laugh. Sometimes I almost forget, you see, and then I remember and it always makes me laugh."

Scorpius was a bit lost by the end of the assistant's rant, Varanian seemed to share in his confusion and shook his head muttering something about insanity. They reached the end of the chamber and he saw the obelisk, placed before a creepy ugly statue... hadn't Molly said that was what she'd dreamed?

Varanian started walking around the obelisk with his wand out, he must have been doing some spell because a foggy white light was being drawn around the obelisk wherever the wand touched the wall would appear beneath it. He started on the left, went round the back and came from the right side having drawn an almost perfect rectangle with the spell except for the front. Scorpius had a suddenly very ominous feeling as Varanian came back to stand beside them.

"This should stop people getting to it, magic can't get in the lines I've drawn," Varanian spoke very neutrally and Calderon stepped closer, scowling slightly.

"Magic can get in but not out, you've done it the wrong-"

Calderon stopped and seemed to realize at the same time as Scorpius did that Varanian hadn't made a mistake, before either could react Varanian shoved Calderon towards the obelisk and whipped his arm across the gap to complete the rectangle. Calderon's light magic shot out towards the foggy white light wall but rebounded and threw Calderon backwards, his body bounced off of the opposite foggy wall - it appeared further up when Calderon touched the air - and thudded onto the ground.

"Calderon!" Scorpius cried out and ran towards the assistant but the second he touched the wall he was flung back, landing painfully on his back beside Varanian.

"What... What are you doing?" Calderon asked worriedly as they got back to his feet.

"I'm truly sorry, Marius, you're my only friend but I have to do this," Varanian spoke calmly, "it is important stopping this from falling into the wrong hands but its more important to protect the school."

"But the wards aren't complete, I heard you say!" Scorpius burst out in panic as it dawned on him what Varanian was planning, "it won't work!"

"The closer the wards are together the stronger the magic, it could have worked at any moment after four were completed but I just wanted to make it as strong as I could by completing the circle around the entire school. I won't be able to do that now so its just going to have to be good enough as it is now. I just need a gray soul to sacrifice so Marius, if you would please activate it."

"Don't Calderon, it'll kill you!"

"How do you know that?"

"I'm not doing it," Calderon said stubbornly and folded his arms, laughing his demented high-pitched laugh again, "if I'm going to kill myself in any way then it will be to destroy this thing, did you not realize in sealing me in with the obelisk that you were _sealing me in with the obelisk?_ I'd rather die doing something good than live doing something evil. Lower the barriers or I'll destroy it. You need help, actual mental help of some sort, these blood runes are making you crazier than I am. Just stop, Varanian, you're a better person than this."

"Ah, you see if you do that then I will be forced to kill little Scorpius here," Varanian countered and Scorpius realized Varanian now had his wand trained on him, "you don't want that do you? Activate the obelisk or I swear I'll kill him."

"You wouldn't."

"I have nothing left to lose! I _am_ going to protect this school or die trying, children of Death Eaters don't even deserve to be called human, your deaths will be a blessing to the world."

"Won't killing me ruin your soul and make the spell evil?" Scorpius wondered quietly, hoping he didn't sound as scared as sounded, he tried to force his mind to be calm and think, maybe Varanian just needed to think to calm down because he was sounding more deranged by the second.

"No! You're evil so killing you is good, the spell will work. I don't want to kill you but I will if I have to, I'll kill you both, I'll kill you all! Do it, Tommy! Do it now! Don't test me!"

"Calm down," Calderon said seeming to try to have a similar idea to Scorpius but his face had even less color than usual, "think about what you're doing and saying, souls are tainted regardless of the circumstances of the kill and murdering two people - especially an innocent child - will earn you a life sentence in Azkaban, you don't want that. You're not a murderer."

"I don't care if it protects the school!" Varanian screeched, his hair was slowly growing and lengthening at random and flicking between random colors, "now do it or I start torturing Scorpius, the Cruciatus curse is especially painful, isn't it?"

"He's just a child, leave him alone!"

"He wanted to stay, remember? He jumped in with both feet! I knew he would, if he wanted to be left alone he would have left but he didn't so he deserves the consequences of his actions! Cru-"

"NO!" Caldreon shrieked and practically ran to the pedestal, "I'll do it, I'll do it, don't hurt him."

"Don't do it, Calderon!" Scorpius burst out desperately as Calderon brought his left hand over where the rune was, he hesitated and met Scorpius' eyes for a moment.

"This isn't your fault, Scor," Calderon told him gently with a weak smile before slamming his hand down, "_I Ecifircas._"

"NO!" Scorpius screamed but it was already too late.

It was similar to what it looked like with the discs, a pulse of crimson light shot through Calderon and out the hand on the pedestal but unlike with the discs when it went out another one would come. Varanian's magic-stopping wall vanished after the first pulse and Scorpius saw the lowest runes were starting to fill up with the assistant's blood, a look of pain was on Calderon's face before he hung his head.

He glanced back to Varanian to see he was pulling a small ball from his pocket with his free hand, - he kept his wand on Scorpius - it was a bit smaller than a golf ball and fit on his palm. It had to be the orb. The color of it kept changing though, swirling between black, white and gray. It rose out of the headmaster's hand and sped over to the obelisk without command or wand, propping itself on the point of the obelisk and remaining there. It stopped changing color. It was as black as the night.

"Varanian, please stop this," Scorpius begged desperately, "this isn't going to protect the school, its going to make things words, please don't kill him."

Varanian didn't say anything. He was staring at the obelisk, Scorpius glanced back at it to see it was now about a quarter filled, when one level of rune was completed the blood just started rising on the next one. Scorpius' heart was thundering in his chest, he had to do something, he couldn't just stand there. The obelisk was now half full. He had to do something, Calderon tugged his hand seeming to try to break the spell but seemed as incapable of tearing his hand away as the others had with the wards.

_Take his wand, he seems distracted_

Scorpius blinked in shock at hearing the voice in his head, he glanced around wildly but there didn't seem to be anyone else there. Calderon hadn't spoken, the only sound coming from him was his ragged breathing. Varanian hadn't spoken, he wasn't making any noise at all, he was trembling and had his eyes squeezed shut. His free hand was clutching at his head, he looked in pain.

_Take the wand and do something!  
_

The voice repeated and Scorpius didn't have time to dwell on his sanity as he glanced briefly at the obelisk, it was now three quarters full. Without further hesitation he grabbed the wand with his left hand, Varanian didn't even try to stop him but he did scream, his scream barely sounded human as he fell to the ground clutching his head and writhing like he was having a seizure.

He had to ignore it for now as he aimed it at Calderon and focused his energy as if for a spell, one was on his lips but the scar on his wrist seared with pain and a pulse of gray light shot out before he could say it. Scorpius was knocked back from the force of the magic that erupted from the wand that collided with Calderon, tearing the assistant from the pedestal and propelling him away from it.


	48. I: Blood-Replenishing Potion

Scorpius scrambled to get to his feet as fast as possible and started to run to Calderon, out of the corner of his eye he noticed the orb was falling as it flickered between the different colors again. He changed his route to dash to it and plucked it out of the air like it was a Snitch, the second it touched his skin it became gray and stayed gray. Up close he saw that the color swirled inside it like clouds, it was so light to hold too, it barely felt like he was holding anything at all. He pocketed it quickly, not sure what to do with it and glanced briefly at the obelisk to make sure it had indeed stopped filling up with blood before continuing over to Calderon.

The assistant was sprawled on his back on the damp ground, Scorpius fell to his knees beside him fearfully, his skin was so pale it was white in contrasted with his shiny black hair. On his open palm, Scorpius could see the sacrificial arrow had cut into his skin deeply and unlike the wounds on his friends, it was bleeding. He was still breathing though, every breath seemed weak and shallow but he was still alive.

"Calderon?" Scorpius whispered and gently shook the assistant's hand, his skin was colder than ice and clammy to the touch. The assistant's eyelids flickered at the sound of his name but he didn't seem to have the strength to open them, "can you get up? We... We have to get you to Madam Pomfrey. She'll know what to do."

Scorpius knew it was stupid the moment he said it, if Calderon couldn't open his eyes then he certainly couldn't walk. Mentally he tried to rush through his options, Calderon needed help but Calderon couldn't move. He could go and get help but he wasn't sure that Calderon had that long, plus he had no idea if the chamber would seal itself - or possibly already had - and he couldn't speak Parseltongue to open it again, only Calderon could. He thought of magically lifting Calderon to take him with him but it still seemed too long, the journey back up would be a lot longer than the long slide down. There had to be something else.

_Can't you just heal him with a spell?_

"I don't know any spells to heal him!" Scorpius yelled at the voice in frustration, "if I did, don't you think that I would be using them?!"

_Sorry, no need to yell at me. I was only trying to help. What a depressing end to my dream_

"This isn't a dream, this is my life," Scorpius pointed out in confusion and seriously started to doubt his sanity.

_No this is my dream, I'm asleep_

"This is not a dream!"

Scorpius screamed the last and the voice went quiet, he glanced around again for a speaker but saw only Varanian who was still thrashing on the ground and clutching at his head. Varanian... didn't he constantly carry around blood-replenishing potion for his friends? That's what Calderon needed. Scorpius got to his feet and stalked over to the headmaster, Varanian's seizure event seemed to be slowing down and by the time Scorpius reached him he was just lying there with his eyes closed, his hands still on his head. His scars were visible again and his hair was the tawny color, Scorpius aimed Varanian's own wand at him.

"Give me the blood-replenishing potion," Scorpius demanded and the headmaster's silver eyes opened slowly.

"W-What?" Varanian croaked weakly trying to sit up, sluggishly and looking dazed as if he wasn't sure what was going on.

"Give me the blood-replenishing potion."

"What?"

"Give me the blood-replenishing potion or I'll kill you!" Scorpius shouted louder than he'd heard his voice, it echoed around the chamber and Varanian seemed immediately.

He was surprised by how much he meant it, in that moment he felt nothing but rage against the headmaster. He'd held the wand in his left hand again, his magic was focused and his scar was burning, he could hear it crackling strangely but he didn't care. He _was_ going to save Calderon and Varanian _was_ going to help him, the headmaster was just staring at him strangely and not doing what he wanted. He was _so_ angry.

A blast of magic shot out from the wand, Varanian ducked and it hit the ground behind him. Fire erupted around them. From that spot a ring of fire spread around the three of them and the obelisk, despite the water around them the fire burned and shot out from the ring in all directions across. Huge crimson flames that lashed out higher than the obelisk itself, burning so intensely he could practically feel the water evaporating off his body. The scar on his wrist was in agony, he felt like it was on fire.

"Put out the fire!" Varanian shrieked with a look of terror on his face. Scorpius tried wishing the fire would stop but it didn't, black smoke was being pumped into the air, "killing us all isn't going to help Marius!"

"I don't know how to put it out!" Scorpius yelled frantically, starting to cough from the smoke.

"Give me my wand then!"

"So you can kill us all?! I don't think so!"

"I'm not going to kill anyone! The fire will! Give me my wand!"

"NO!" Scorpius protested stubbornly but fell to his knees from the force of the coughing, the smoke was so thick he could barely breath.

"Scorpius, give me my wand!"

"N-"

Scorpius started to say no but logically he realized that if he didn't they would die, Varanian seemed to take this as confirmation and snatched the wand from. He aimed it into the air and a pulse of magic shot out, rippled outwards from them and extinguishing every flame it touched, taking the smoke with it. They both remained on the ground for a minute, gulping down the clean air once more. Scorpius felt drained.

"I don't like fire," Varanian whispered and from the look on his face, Scorpius that was the adult way of saying it scared the life out of him.

Varanian seemed to recover before Scorpius did as the headmaster rose and went over to Calderon, Scorpius forced his trembling legs to move after him. Varanian couldn't possibly expect Calderon to finish the spell now - the assistant was still barely breathing - and Scorpius had the orb, he resisted the urge to hold it protectively in his hand because it would alert the headmaster to the fact that he had it. If Varanian did try anything he would throw it onto the ground and step on it, he just hoped there was nothing magically protecting it so it would break easily. It was the best he could think of. Varanian didn't do any of that though, he fell to his knees beside Calderon and pulled a bottle out of a pocket on the inside of his robes.

"Is that poison?!" Scorpius demanded rushing over and Varanian gave him an incredulous look.

"Its the blood-replenishing potion," Varanian pointed out as if it was obvious before lifting Calderon's head to pour the crimson liquid down his throat, Scorpius wasn't sure if the assistant was conscious but he seemed to swallow. Varanian stopped after a few mouthfuls, "have to wait to give him more, if you give someone too much at a time they get to much blood too fast and it can make arteries burst."

"Why should I believe you?"

"Because its the truth, I'll show you the passage in the potions book if you really want but right now we have to get him out of here, he needs more potion than I have on me."

"How are we going to do that?"

Varanian shot him a neutral look, the usual anger was again gone like when he'd been sick before. He just looked exhausted. He pocketed the potion once more and brought his wand out, Scorpius tensed and Varanian seemed to notice because he sighed.

"I'm not going to do anything bad. As headmaster I can lower the anti-apparition wards, just momentarily so we can get out of here. Come over here and take Marius' hand, the less time its lowered the better."

"Why should I believe you?" Scorpius repeated angrily, "you tried to kill us not ten minutes ago! You were insane!"

"You tried to kill us not five minutes ago! I'm feeling much better now so please hurry up while it lasts."

Scorpius reluctantly knelt down beside them while the headmaster muttered a spell, he really didn't feel like he had much of a choice, he had no better ideas and Varanian did have the wand. Scorpius took Calderon's hand, squeezing it tightly as if it would bring some warmth back into the assistant's body. He was still breathing though, even though his eyes remained closed. Varanian put his free hand on Calderon's chest and immediately they were in motion, Scorpius had apparated before - only side-along with his parents or grandparents - so the sensation didn't make him throw him up like he had the first time, he still didn't think it was a pleasant sensation.

They reappeared in a room that Scorpius had never been into before, they were in a bedroom - in fact Varanian had had them land on the large double bed, probably for Calderon's sake - a large circular bedroom with chests of drawers built into the wall. The room looked oddly bare, there was no decoration. No pictures, no portraits or tapestries on the walls and on top of the chests there was just nothing. There were two doors on opposing ends of the room, one had a cloak on a hook and he assumed it was a closet and the other was probably the exit.

Varanian immediately held out his hand and said another spell that sounded similar to the first, he guessed it was resetting the wards. The headmaster's exhaustion was even more evident in the light of the room, his eyes were ringed and he looked about to pass out. Scorpius wasn't feeling very sympathetic but he was feeling very confused and wary, either Varanian was completely and utterly insane or he was just trying to get Calderon to recover enough to finish the spell. He wondered if the headmaster realized that he had the orb. Varanian didn't seem concerned about that at that moment, he had the vial out to give Calderon more of the potion.

"Shouldn't we take him to Madam Pomfrey?" Scorpius wondered and realized that she'd probably be looking for him, how long had he been gone?

"No. She'd want to know what happened to him and the less people know about the obelisk the better, you can't tell anyone," Varanian said firmly and the usual edge was back in his voice even if he continued to look ill and rubbed his temple, "healers are useless idiots anyway, nothing they can do that I can't do better."

"Are you going to erase my memory if I do tell anyone?"

"No, that was... that was probably wrong of me to do that to the girls. That thing is very dangerous in the wrong hands, you don't want anything bad to happen do you?"

Scorpius bit back the urge to say 'aside from what already happened, you mean?' but remained glaring at the headmaster who shifted uncomfortably. He didn't though, it would be stupid to provoke the man with the only wand and he had no idea where Varanian had taken them, where they even still in Hogwarts?

"Where are we?"

"My room. We're less likely to be disturbed here than his and I need to make more potion, this isn't enough to get him back up to full strength."

"Don't you have more?"

"No, Saturday's usually when I replenish the week's supply but I was busy. I was coming back to do it when you..." Varanian rubbed his head and trailed off looking miserable, "I have to make more. I don't know how long I have. Do you want to help or go back to bed?"

"Help?" Scorpius said with a confused scowl, "are you... are you trying to help Calderon? I'm not leaving him alone with you."

"Obviously I'm trying to help him," Varanian snapped sounding exactly like his usual self again for a moment before his exhausted expression returned and he demonstrated how to give Calderon the potion as he spoke, "to give him the potion, just lift up his head slightly and pour it in until he swallows three times. Like so. You need to do that every five minutes, when the bottle runs out come out and tell me. It won't last long but I think I have one more, I'll give you that when the first runs out and give that to him every ten minutes instead. If he stops breathing get me immediately but I think he has enough blood at the moment to cope."

"There's no clock."

Varanian sighed and got up, rubbing his head once more as he retrieved an hourglass from one of the drawers. He turned it over and placed it on top of the drawer, explaining when the sand ran out it was five minutes and he just needed to give Calderon the potion, when he was done he should just turn it over again. He handed Scorpius the bottle of potion and waited for the sand to run out to make sure Scorpius could do it right - which he did - before turning to leave.

"I don't trust you," Scorpius said and Varanian hesitated but carried on walking.

Scorpius sighed heavily, not sure what else to do. He couldn't leave Calderon alone, not with the man who'd tried to kill him and was responsible for his condition, to get help - assuming Varanian would let him leave - and he couldn't take Calderon with him, the assistant wasn't even conscious enough to walk. He silently vowed to never go anywhere without his wand again and decided he would just have to wait until Calderon recovered more, Calderon didn't need a wand and surely he would defend them against Varanian now he knew he was insane and intent on murder and torture. They didn't have to hold him off for long, it was Varanian's last night at Hogwarts as Rose's letter would still be found.

Apparently they were just ignoring that, or maybe Varanian had just forgotten. Scorpius certainly wasn't going to be the one to remind him, he might go insane again and try to make Calderon finish the obelisk. Or Scorpius, he realized with horror, he had just said a gray soul, did it matter if someone else finished the obelisk? He felt very vulnerable all of a sudden, Calderon was in no position to defend himself if Varanian threatened to kill him if Scorpius didn't activate the obelisk, what choice would he have? He glanced at his wrist, the bruising looked worse and he was sure the scar was even darker. What was wrong with his wrist? What was up with him? He'd nearly burned them alive when he was mad and the voice...

"Hello?" Scorpius asked in hopes it would hear him but he got no reply. Maybe he really was losing his mind.

"Here," Varanian spoke as he returned through the door that Scorpius had correctly deduced as the exit, handing him a book open on a particular, "there's the passage of the book I told you about, I don't really expect you to trust me, quiet frankly I don't even trust myself right now but I'm not lying about the potion to save Marius."

Varanian left without another a word, Scorpius assumed he already knew the potion because the page was the blood-replenishing potion. He skimmed it after he gave Calderon his next dose of potion, sure enough it warned against giving too much too quickly because it could burst the arteries or veins. It depended on the consistency of the potion apparently how much would cause this but it did urge caution. It didn't make him feel much at ease, he probably wanted Calderon to recover so he could complete the spell. Scorpius considered hiding the orb amongst Varanian's things in case he tried to get them into the Chamber of Secrets again before he ran out of potion and went to tell Varanian.

He was slightly surprised to see the room exited into Varanian's office, the headmaster was brewing the potion at one of the tables and handed him the bottle quickly. He made a note that Scorpius needed the hourglass to run out twice but otherwise to carry on, he should be finished before that bottle ran out. It was smaller than the first bottle so he hoped Varanian was right, the book also mentioned that in cases of severe blood loss the potion should be given at regular intervals to lessen the risk of the person dying before their blood can be replenished. He really wished Calderon could at least be conscious.

After giving Calderon his next dose he decided to check around Varanian's draws, see if there was a good place to hide the orb in one that less used. The first few that Scorpius checked seemed to be his clothes, he assumed Varanian used those regularly so it would he stupid to hide it there, although since Varanian would be arrested in a few hours he supposed he didn't need to worry about that. In the next few draws he found only pictures, he thought they must have been Varanian's family.

Most of them were of a beautiful young woman with dark curly hair who he assumed was Ethel - in several she was holding a younger Varanian's hand and there was one of them getting married - and three children, a little boy and girl with the same dark girly hair as the woman and a baby who had different color hair in every picture. Varanian's hair was fairly consistent in the pictures, in most it was short, scruffy and tawny although it did vary in some. They always looked happy though. Some looked older and they featured people who seemed to resemble Varanian and if Varanian appeared in any of those pictures then he was always a child, Scorpius assumed those were his relatives. He wasn't feeling particularly sympathetic to Varanian's losses though, it didn't give him an excuse to act how he was and he thought Varanian's family would probably agree with Scorpius on that.

After he stopped again to give Calderon another dose of the potion he returned to the next drawer, that one was filled with letters. They were part in English and part in a different language, he thought it looked like Greek or Russian maybe. They were all about the blood runes, the English didn't reveal much more than he already knew except to constantly praise the safety and unstoppable protection and ensure Varanian that whatever worries he had were uncalled for, the other language he couldn't understand and they were all signed 'Retsam Wodahs' and written in the same spidery handwriting.

_I recognize that handwriting_

"What the hell?" Scorpius wondered and jumped in surprise at hearing the voice again.

_After Joel was done punishing me for trying to escape he dragged me into the kitchen and he wrote a letter, he folded it up and placed in an envelope that already a word written on it: Shadow Master. It was written in the same handwriting_

"No it wasn't!" Scorpius snapped angrily, shoving the letter back into the drawer and slamming it shut, "you're lying and that was a dream and go away."

_That wasn't a dream! That was my life_

"Well you're a liar, I'm alive and real and that was a dream."

_I'm not a liar! It wasn't a dream!_

"Yes it was!"

_I wish it was a dream, I wish I could wake up and be in my bed at home and find everything had just been a horrible nightmare, to be safe where no one can hurt me and be with my family. But its not a dream_

"Yes it is. You're not real."

_I am real. I'm ten years old, they took me two weeks before my birthday. I was playing in a muggle park and I got lost on the way home, I don't know why I knew the way so well but I got lost and-_

"NO!" Scorpius screamed before forcing himself to speak calmer, "that didn't happen to you. You're some kind of demented trauma thing that's happening to me and I've got so much on my mind that all this stuff is mixing in with it but its not true, they were just muggles. There was no magic involved, magic is good and muggles are bad with very few exceptions. Wizards weren't involved at all, don't you understand?! It was muggles, it was just muggles. They took me and they hurt me but I got away, it has _nothing_ to do with anything."

_You were abducted too? You were the one who killed Joel's little brother?_

"The next batch of potion is ready," Varanian said as the doorway opened, Scorpius had never been more relieved to see the headmaster and considering his burning hatred for the man it, it said a lot. His anxiety must have shown on his face because Varanian's face held a look that resembled concern, "are you alright?"

"Fine," Scorpius snarled angrily and Varanian actually jumped as he continued into the room, placing a huge cauldron on top of the nearest drawer.

"Fine. This should be enough, we just refill the bottle when its empty and keep going until Calderon recovers."

"Fine."

"Are you sure you don't want to go back to bed?"

"And leave you to kill Calderon? I don't think so," Scorpius continued irritably, he felt drained but not tired anyway and he doubted he could sleep even if he could trust Varanian to not kill Calderon while he was gone. He wasn't leaving the assistant's side until he was sure he was safe, unless it was in a body bag.

"I'm not trying to kill him, I told you I feel better," Varanian complained and rubbed his head again but Scorpius had stopped believing him several lies ago. He didn't care what the headmaster had to say, he couldn't wait until Varanian was dragged away and fed to the dementors in Azkaban. He knew his statement was illogical but he was too shaken to care.

* * *

_**Author's Note: **Not nearly as exciting as the last chapter I know, hope you still liked it _

_**Thanks to: **Lucifersdaughter, Diddleymaz and Winger-panther1 for reviewing**!**_


	49. I: Watching, Waiting, Witnessing

It was oddly silent in the room. Varanian conjured a chair and sat beside the potion after bandaging Calderon's injured hand - it didn't respond to magic attempts to heal, taking the hourglass so he could turn it over beside him while Scorpius went to sit on the bed beside Calderon. Neither of them said anything and the voice had thankfully gone quiet again, they only moved to give Calderon the potion, Varanian didn't even seem to blink but rubbed his head so much that Scorpius started to wonder if his headache had returned. Calderon remained unconscious but his breathing seemed more even than it had been in the Chamber.

It felt like a long night, even if it had to be the early hours of the next morning by then, Scorpius supposed that sitting in silence and staring at an hourglass made you aware of every second which did make time feel like it was moving slower. Scorpius continued to give Calderon the potion until it ran out, then Varanian started doing it and Scorpius was left with nothing much to do but wait and keep an eye on the headmaster. It was hard though. He did feel drained, his eyes stung with tiredness and Varanian's bed was really comfortable. He gripped Calderon's hand tightly as if to anchor himself into consciousness, he was pleased that Calderon's skin was no longer as cold. That had to be a good sign.

_"Oh, you think that, do you?" a gruff voice growled angrily and Scorpius realized he had to have fallen asleep, his head was buried in the pillow so he couldn't see anything except his hand except again it wasn't his hand. It had the handcuff still on his wrist, his strangely colorless skinned wrist. Weirdly he smelled perfume. Everything hurt. He felt like he'd been ripped apart inside, every part of him ached and from the intensity of the pain in his wrist and the angle of it, he thought it was broken.  
_

NO! I have to stay awake

_"Awake?" a child's voice breathed, Scorpius felt his lips moving but it wasn't his voice or his words again, "I am very awake, voice. Leave me alone."_

_"Yes," Joel's voice said firmly, "the boy almost managed to escape today, as I mentioned in my letter, I don't want to end up like my brother Marvin. I demand you do something to ensure my safety from him."_

_"Avada Kedavra!" the first voice yelled, Scorpius thought it sounded familiar and there was a blinding flash of green that enveloped the whole room, he turned abruptly just in time to see Joel's body thud to the ground. His eyes were staring sightlessly ahead and his body spasmed for some reason, "don't piss me off, filthy muggle scum! You don't make demands of Soul Eaters! You're clearly expendable and I'm not in the mood. But don't worry, you didn't end up like your brother, Specters didn't take his soul."_

What is he talking about? Did he just kill Joel?

_"I don't know," the child's voice whispered and squeezed his eyes shut, - Scorpius assumed that was why it suddenly went dark anyway - burying his head in the pillow once more fearfully. He heard footsteps moving closer to them, the floorboards creaking underfoot._

_"Probably shouldn't have done that... Are you okay, kid?"_

_"Are you going to kill me too?"_

_"Of course not, I'm not evil."_

_"You just killed Joel."_

_"Yeah well I hate people like that and he just pissed me off, he deserves it. You haven't done anything. Come on, take my hand and I'll get you out of here," the man said in a gentler voice.  
_

_Scorpius' eyes opened to see he was being offered a large deformed hand, the six fingers were all the wrong lengths compared to a normal person's hand and all seemed angled slightly wrong. He was sure he was dreaming then, he hadn't seen the face of the man who'd save him after he'd killed Marvin but he had seen his hands and he recognized them. He reached sat up and grasped the killer's hand tightly, darkness enveloped them and..._

Scorpius jolted upright, gasping at the strange sensation that had cast him away from the dream. He was grateful though, he didn't like those dreams and he really hoped that would be the last one. He was still in Varanian's room, on the bed beside Calderon and even still clutching the assistant's hand. He wondered how long he'd been asleep as he glanced at the headmaster who was sill sitting in the conjured chair, the hourglass looked like it had just been freshly turned over as the sand had only started to drop. Varanian opened his mouth and then closed it again, waited a minute then opened and closed his mouth again. He seemed to give up after that and just stayed silent, Scorpius was glad, the last thing he wanted was Varanian asking questions.

He didn't fall asleep again that night, he just waited and watched the time slipping. They tarted taking it in turns with Varanian to give Calderon the potion though, he and Varanian had a weird way of working things out between silently, it was an almost unspoken agreement to just not talk about the events that had transpired and concentrate on saving Calderon.

It was a long night.

* * *

"Get up," a voice growled in his ear and Lucius jumped, immediately awake as he tried to scowl at Brutus in the darkness, Narcissa was sleeping right beside him after all.

He started to get up slowly and carefully as to not wake his wife but Brutus seemed to have other ideas, he roughly yanked Lucius' arm, digging his nails into the brand painfully to force him to come along. Lucius didn't have much choice other than to allow himself to be half-dragged through his own house, it was cold and he was half-naked to boot, it was more than slightly humiliating. He hoped none of the house-elves were up and working yet.

"If this is about insulting you, I'm sorry," Lucius decided to apologize, it wasn't sincere but if it was the reason why Brutus was dragging him then it was worth a fake apology to make him stop. He wrinkled his nose at the smell of perfume off the Soul Eater.

"No you're not and shut up," Brutus snarled and half-threw Lucius into his own study, practically slamming the door behind them.

"What's so urgent that it couldn't wait until morning? You could at least wait for me to pull on a robe and not drag me! I know it must be difficult for you to understand human behavior but we have some sense of common decency and civility that may be lost on animals like yourse-"

Lucius hadn't finished his sentence before Brutus' fist smashed into his face, the punch had enough force to throw Lucius off his feet. His head felt like it was ringing from the force of the blow, the eye that had been hit hurt too much to open. He glanced back to the Soul Eater who had his wand out and trained on him.

"I said _shut up!_" Brutus snarled angrily, "I already killed one man tonight, do you want to be the second? Go ahead and finish that sentence, Lucius."

Lucius said nothing.

"I thought so."

"So what do you want?" Lucius asked quietly as Brutus put away his wand.

"There's a letter that your son agreed to send for the Weasley girl, Rose, and it can't be sent. Draco needs to conveniently lose that before he can send it tomorrow, you will take it and destroy it."

"You're worried about a child's letter to their father?"

"It's important. If it reaches her father then Varanian will be arrested and we can't have that, not yet anyway, not until he's finished what he started. The letter must be destroyed."

"Why? What is the headmaster doing? Is he doing anything to Scorpius? Draco was going to report him for not letting him stay with Scorpius while he was injured."

"Its none of your concern and I'm sure your grandson isn't at risk and convince Draco not to report him while you're at it!"

"You don't seem to be in the best of moods today," Lucius commented irritably.

"The master's plans were almost ruined by your idiot grandson and the girl's stupid letter!" Brutus roared and Lucius jumped in shock, "Varanian nearly got arrested, his assistant nearly died and the master's weak from the effort of keeping certain stubborn people under control! None of those things are good! Varanian has to finish the wards or it won't be as powerful as we need it, the assistant has to live so he can join us and I hate seeing the master weak! So no, Lucius, I'm not in the best of moods right now!"

"Sorry I asked."

"Just destroy that letter or I will kill your family myself!"

Lucius opened his mouth to ask what he was supposed to do about his injured eye but Brutus furiously turned away and vanished into the shadows, leaving Lucius awkwardly clutching his eye on the floor. He swallowed nervously and got to his feet, moving quietly through the silent house and half-expecting someone to have heard but thankfully everyone still seemed to be asleep except perhaps the house-elves as he could see the first rays of the day peeking in through the windows.

He went into the kitchen where he knew Draco had left the letter, in fact he'd left it at the top of the pile to post in the morning, Lucius recognized the name 'Ron Weasley' and the handwriting didn't belong to any Malfoy. His mind was filled with questions, what was the headmaster up to that the Shadows cared about so much? How was Scorpius involved? Was he in danger? Lucius eyed the letter, would he be in trouble if he read it for he destroyed it? Would Brutus notice?

"Lucius?" Narcissa's voice questioned worriedly and he hurriedly pocketed the letter, turning quickly to see his wife wandering sleepily into the kitchen, "are you alright? I heard yell- what happened to your eye?"

"I... I..." Lucius began, trying to think of a convincing lie that wasn't too humiliating, "I was sleepwalking, I walked into a door or something and hit my eye. It woke me and I was yelling in frustration, the damn thing hurts."

"Aww Lucius," Narcissa cooed coming over to him but thankfully seeming to believe him.

She put on the faucet and took out her wand, using a spell to turn the pouring water into lumps of ice that she collected in a cloth and gestured for him to sit at the table. He didn't bother arguing with her and sat down as she sat down beside him, he closed his eyes as she pressed the cloth against his injured eye, it was cold but numbing and soothing in an odd way. He opened his good eye when he felt her free fingers gently caress his cheek, she was looking at him anxiously.

"Yes?" Lucius wondered, fearful that maybe she didn't believe him after all.

"I'm just worried about you is all."

"I'm fine, Narcissa," Lucius lied and gave her his best comforting smile but it didn't seem to ease her worries.

"Losing Lyra and Scorpius' disappearance... even though we got him back, it just makes you realize how fragile life is... I just worry, first your arm and now your eye, the headaches and having trouble sleeping... I don't know what I'd do without you."

"You have nothing to worry about," he lied again and gently took her hand, "I guess... its just... I worry about Scorpius, I'm the one who pushed for him to go Hogwarts and if anything happens then its my fault, him getting injured in that game is my fault. I worry about him too."

"So do I but... I think you're right," Narcissa admitted much to his surprise but at least the conversation was off him, "Scorpius is stronger than we think and he has friends - I know you don't approve of who exactly - but its good for him to not just be around family all the time, having friends is normal and if he's playing Quidditch at least maybe it'll get him to start caring about things he likes again. If it gets too much for him then I'm sure he'll say or one of teachers will, he mentions liking his detentions with them so he does have adults if he needs them and friends if he needs them, as well as us. He'll be fine, its just Hogwarts and he's probably safer there with all the Shadows about. And also, its not your fault that Potter boy has a terrible aim so don't worry about that."

"Thanks, I don't know what I'd do without you either."

"I love you," Narcissa said with a warming smile as she pressed her lips against his and he felt immediately guilty for lying, he hadn't kept so much from her even when he was a Death Eater. He was very aware of the letter in his pocket as he kissed her back passionately, constantly afraid that any second would be his last he would ever know.

"I love you too," he whispered when they pulled apart. The best he could hope for was that his last thought would be a happy one, that his family would understand and that they'd be safe. He just wanted everything to be okay again.

* * *

"It's breakfast time," Varanian said and Scorpius blinked in surprise at hearing his voice for the first time in hours, he shot a glare at the headmaster. As if food mattered to him in that moment, he wouldn't be tricked into abandoning Calderon.

"I'm not hungry."

"I can bring you back something so you can stay here with Marius, I don't know... I don't know when the Aurors will... I don't know when they'll come for me so you need to keep administering him the potion. I was going to sit at breakfast so they can arrest me there rather than here and find him, tell them anything you want except that obelisk you saw and that orb," Varanian continued awkwardly and Scorpius was even more surprised, he'd assumed the headmaster had forgotten about the letter, "it really is important that no one gets their hands on them, they're both trapped down there in the Chamber now, forever, with any luck no one but Marius will be able to get inside."

"I won't say anything about it," Scorpius promised, secretly relieved that Varanian seemed to think the orb was still down there and not in his pocket, the headmaster looked relieved as he headed to the door but paused with his hand on the handle.

"Good... and... um... I... if I don't come back tell Marius that I'm sorry for nearly... err... you know, everything and... and um... he's not in danger of going to Azkaban. And also um... I'm sorry for threatening to... err... whatever I said I'd do to you back there."

"Err... okay," Scorpius said awkwardly, not sure whether Varanian was just trying to seem remorseful so he'd get a lesser sentence or was just trying to seem remorseful because he thought it would increase the chances of Scorpius staying quiet about the obelisk, it was hard to tell when he could only see the back of Varanian's head.

"Are you sure there's nothing you want?"

"My wand. A change of clothes would be nice."

Varanian's tawny head nodded before he left and Scorpius went to give Calderon his next dose of potion. He didn't actually expect Varanian to return, at the very least he didn't the headmaster would let him have a wand to defend himself but he came back a few minutes later with Scorpius' wand and a change of clothes, the headmaster just placed them on the bed silently.

"Just... you know, don't set the room on fire," Varanian said quietly before slipping out.

Scorpius was really confused as he studied his wand and tested it with _Lumos_ to make sure the headmaster hadn't done anything to it, it worked perfectly. Varanian was either really going out of his way to try lessen his sentence or he was insane or possibly a combination of both. He just shook his head and got changed quickly, using the closet for privacy even though Calderon had yet to wake up. He just focused on keeping the assistant alive and managed to keep his worries and sleep at bay.

It was awhile before Varanian returned again, almost looking disappointed as he explained that no one had come to arrest him yet so he assumed it would be later on. Scorpius was surprised that the headmaster wasn't trying to run, he could remove the apparition wards in a second so it wouldn't take long for him to escape but he didn't. Scorpius didn't ask him about him in case it gave the headmaster any ideas, maybe Varanian was just too stressed to think of escaping? He didn't know, Varanian still looked exhausted, like he might pass out at any second and had his hand clutching his head with a pained expression again.

They sat in silence for a long time before Varanian said it was lunch time and he'd go wait there to be arrested again, seeming more sure that it would be the last time then. It still wasn't. Varanian returned in less time than he had at breakfast, saying that it still hadn't happened and this time had brought some food for Scorpius because he thought it was important that he eat something since he was a child. Scorpius refused on the basis that it could be poisoned and Varanian took a bite of everything to assure him, Scorpius reluctantly ate the food as he was actually hungrier than he'd thought, he hadn't eaten since breakfast of the Quidditch match.

Varanian's headache was definitely back, he looked in pain the whole time before he left for dinner a few hours after that, brought Scorpius back a plate of piping hot food before leaving again. Scorpius hoped it would be the last time he ever saw the headmaster, surely Rose's dad had to have gotten the letter by the evening. Varanian returned though, looking immensely frustrated.

"What did she put in that letter anyway?" Varanian demanded irritably rubbing his head as he sat back down, "it wasn't in code or anything? What are they waiting for?"

"I don't know," Scorpius sighed, "shouldn't you be glad of the delay?"

"Why? At this point I'm pretty sure I belong in Azkaban, the faster they lock me up the faster I can be sure that I can't hurt anyone else."

"I don't understand."

"I don't understand either. I'm not even going to try to explain."

They fell silent again. Went back to alternating turns in giving Calderon the potion, it felt like an age that they continued that before Scorpius noticed the assistant's eyelids twitching. He squeezed his hand desperately and felt Calderon squeeze back gently as his eyes fluttered open weakly, sleepily taking in the scene. Varanian noticed too and rushed over.

"How are you feeling?" Varanian asked immediately as Calderon struggled to sit up.

"Like you tried to kill me and suck out my blood," Calderon answered weakly with a faint smile, "what happened?"

"I don't know, the pain in my head got so bad I passed out. When I woke up you weren't at the pedestal anymore and the obelisk had stopped filling up before it was complete-"

"You looked like you were having a seizure or something," Scorpius interrupted, not content with Varanian's explanation of passing out, "I grabbed your wand and... used magic to throw Calderon back from the pedestal which made the obelisk stop, it didn't magically stop by itself."

"Alright, that happened then. Then Scorpius set the Chamber on fire-"

"That was an accident."

"Accidentally set the Chamber on fire then, I put it out and then brought you here and made more potion. We're been giving you blood-replenishing potion all day, its good you're awake."

"What about the letter? And the trying to kill us to protect the school?" Calderon wondered looking between them with a mixture of confusion and amazement on his face.

"Still waiting to be arrested... and that was... that was wrong of me to try kill you both, protecting the school isn't worth it if it means killing people. I'm sorry, Marius, I didn't want to hurt you. Either of you."

"Then why did you!?" Scorpius demanded irritably.

"I don't know! I just... don't know," Varanian answered unhelpfully and to both of their surprise, Calderon burst out laughing his high-pitched maniacal laughter, "what?"

"You actually got along to help me, you two hate each other, its funny," Calderon pointed out, still smiling weakly as his laughter stopped, "I forgive you, Pippy."

"You forgive him?! He tried to kill you!" Scorpius exclaimed incredulously, "how can you forgive him?!"

"He said he was sorry."

"You're too forgiving," Varanian complained of his assistant.

"Stop agreeing with me!" Scorpius snapped, shooting a glare at the headmaster whose behavior continued to confuse him. Evil people weren't supposed to turn around and help save the person they were trying to kill, they weren't supposed to apologize and they weren't supposed to be forgiven.

"You should be going to bed now. Marius is perfectly capable of taking the potion by himself now when I get arrested, you don't need to be here anymore and you need to rest."

"I'm not leaving you alone with him!"

"I'm right here," Calderon complained glancing between them, "and I think we should all go to bed and get some rest, you're probably both tired and I can take potion by myself. In my own room."

* * *

_**Thanks to: **Aya Diefair, Winged-panther1, Diddleymaz and Lucifersdaughter for reviewing!**  
**_

_**Author's Note: **I'm really sorry to say but its not actually ending yet, is it too long for everyone? I am writing as fast I can, I just have a habit of thinking of long plots and I am putting some stuff in to set up for the second year but this year does have an ending that is planned where you do get a solution about Varanian and stuff before the end of the first year (I can't wait to write that bit either!) but it is still months away in-story (although after New Year's there's no major events until May so that should pass by much quicker). I need to know if its really bothering people?  
_

**_To Aya Diefair: _**_Yes, Varanian didn't let Draco stay with his injured child which was mean (although random fact: he was considering letting Draco stay until he asked him what he would do if it was his son, then Varanian assumed Draco was taunting him about his dead family and angrily refused). Glad it makes more sense now, sorry that wasn't clear, I nearly did write this in first person actually and yeah Scorpius is 11 (his birthday is August 5th in my story)__ but has a __lot on his poor mind. You have my permission to draw Calderon if you want to, I'm honored you want to_**_  
_**


	50. I: The Disappointment

Calderon got his way in the end, Varanian didn't seem to have the energy to fight and Scorpius was still a student. They left Varanian in his room and went back to their own beds, Calderon saying he'd conjure the potion to his room when he'd got there to save his strength and Varanian had apparently told Madam Pomfrey he'd been taken for a task so he was excused from the hospital wing and could return to his own dormitory. He was walking with Calderon for the part of the walk that was the same, there were a lot of things he wanted to say but at the same time he didn't want to say anything, Calderon was unusually silent.

"Calderon?" Scorpius said finally, knowing he was running out of time and the assistant glanced at him in reply, "I...I'm sorry. I should've listened to you and gone back, if I had then you wouldn't have nearly died. I'm sorry."

"It's fine, Scor," Calderon brushed it off, "didn't I tell you it wasn't your fault?"

"Well yes but I'm still sorry, I should have known Varanian would do something crazily evil, I should have listened to you. I'm sorry."

"You couldn't possibly have known he was going to do that and yes, you should have listened to me. But don't beat yourself up over it, learning from your mistakes is much more productive than dwelling on them. It's over now anyway, that's what matters and only the three of us know, we'll be safe as long as only we know."

Scorpius just nodded although he still had a bunch of questions about the blood runes that he was dying to ask, as well as a bunch more about Varanian's impending arrest but Calderon looked so tired and worried, Scorpius didn't think it was the best time. Calderon needed to rest and keep taking the potion to regain the blood he'd lost, or rather the blood the obelisk had stolen from him. Besides, Calderon was right, it was _over_. Any second Varanian could be arrested, no one else would be mad enough to try activate the magic and they couldn't even if they wanted to, Scorpius had the orb and Calderon alone could access the Chamber of Secrets - he didn't think the assistant would be doing that again any time soon - so it was over. Scorpius kept telling himself that but he still found himself thinking about it as he bade Calderon goodnight and headed back to Gryffindor Tower. It didn't feel like it was over.

Everyone was already asleep at that point, his Quidditch clothes had been cleaned and left neatly folded on his bed with the Golden Snitch resting on top. He'd almost completely forgotten about it with everything else, it didn't even feel like an achievement at all after everything with Calderon, it was just a game and life was serious. He put the clothes all away and put the Snitch on his bedside table, not sure where else to put it or what to do with it. He checked and was relieved to find the blood rune book was still under his pillow, he wished - not for the first time - that he could read runes. That would answer all his questions, or at least a lot of them.

He closed the drapes and crawled into bed, taking out the orb and looking at it properly. He turned it over and over in his hands and it remained gray, the color seemed to swirl around slightly inside the orb but it didn't change. The orb itself was smooth and unblemished all over and incredibly light, he stared at it for a long time before placing it on his bedside table. He lay on his side to stare at it, it changed color then, shifting between black, gray and white like it had before it went to the top of the obelisk. He wondered if it was gray when he touched it because it was recognizing his tainted soul and didn't know what color to be when it wasn't touching him? Although it had kept changing color when Varanian was touching it. He had no idea what was normal for it, or even what it really was supposed to do. He wished he could understand runes, maybe he'd risk asking Professor Ashain after all, he didn't see the harm after Varanian was arrested. He fell asleep thinking about it.

_He was in different room, warm with wood paneled walls and lying on his side on a comfortable double bed. He noticed a glass of water and jug on a bedside table, he drank some of it and lay back down sleepily and saw his wrist. He bore the same scars on the colorless skin, except they looked fresh and without the strange bruising that his had gotten. His eyes gently flickered shut before he heard voices and was immediately awake again._

_"What am I supposed to do with the brat anyway?" a rough voice was saying, "you know the master won't offer the father the option for the final time until summer when its the master's birthday, that's months away! You really think the third muggle will make a deal with us after you murdered two of his sons?! Its not easy to find muggles who know about magic who would keep children prisoner like the master wants."_

_"I didn't kill the first one! The kid did!" a second voice said, it sounded like the man with the deformed hands who'd killed Joel in his other dream, "I already told you that!"_

_"It wasn't a dream, this is my life," the child's voice whispered and again Scorpius felt as though his mouth was moving but he wasn't speaking. He decided to ignore it._

_"Yeah, yeah, I remember," the first voice complained and he thought the voices were coming from outside, it was hard to tell considering he could only see the bedside table with the glass, "it impressed the master, its more important than ever that he remain with muggles who'll treat him cruelly, the master wants to see if the situation will drive this brat to kill as well."_

_"Well then go convince the muggle to make a deal and stop whining to me about it, Selwyn!" the second voice barked, "if I go then I'll just kill the son of a bitch and I have enough to do as it is, I have to help Celestine plan the Azkaban thing and help the master deal with the Varanian thing. This is your responsibility and its simple by comparison, if you can't handle it then I'll just get someone more worthwhile."_

_"Then don't interfere and kill the damn muggles just because I'm too busy to make a house call!" the first voice - presumably Selwyn - snapped irritably, "don't be so soft!"_

_"Soft?!"_

_"Yes! Protecting that freaky looking brat, giving Lucius the potion after you branded-"_

_"Crucio!" the second voice yelled and it was followed by screaming, "do you think I'm soft now?!"_

_"I take it back! I take it back!" Selwyn screamed, "stop this! Stop!"_

_The spell caster apparently chose to ignore the begging because the screaming continued, he felt his eyes closing but it didn't block out the agonized screams. And Varanian had almost done that to him? Was that what his grandfather had done to Calderon? It sounded painful._

_"It is," the child's voice said quietly, fearfully, "Selwyn did that to me earlier."_

_Shut up, Scorpius thought as the screaming finally stopped and was replaced by heavy breathing, it sounded like Selwyn was trying to catch his breath, this is just a horrible dream and not real._

_"What the hell?" Selwyn's voice croaked weakly, "I took it back ages ago."_

_"You didn't say please or sorry," the second voice sneered, "deal with the boy, get back to your duties and never insult me again."_

_Selwyn didn't say anything. For a few minutes all he could hear was the sound of the man breathing before finally he seemed to get to his feet, from the sound of the footsteps it sounded like Selwyn was walking away. It was silent for awhile in the darkness before he heard himself started to sob again, he wished he could roll his eyes but he didn't seem capable of controlling his body in these dreams._

Stop crying_, Scorpius thought instead and the dream-boy seemed to hear him._

_"Why? I just want to go home," the boy cried miserably._

You're a dream, you can't go home and I have enough on my mind without these dreams so go away

_"I'm not a dream! And I wish I could go away, you're so mean."_

I'm not mean! You don't exist

_"I do exist!" the boy sobbed and preceded to cry himself to sleep, blissfully taking Scorpius with him._

Scorpius still felt tired when he woke up but he was glad to be awake, those dreams were weird. He got dressed quickly, the others in his dormitory were still asleep but it was morning time and they would be awake soon. He decided to just let them sleep as he debated for a long time whether to leave the orb in the room or take it with him, he watched the changing colors for a long time before finally choosing to take it. It was too important to be let out of his sights.

He headed off to the Great Hall for breakfast, considering detouring to check on Calderon for awhile but decided against it. As much as he wanted to make sure that Calderon was okay, he knew that the assistant needed to rest and if Scorpius woke him up then he probably start doing things.

There was a few early risers in the Great Hall already, he saw there seemed to be quite a lot of Ravenclaws who were pouring over books instead of eating. Quite a few of the teachers were also there, Professor Hagrid looked extremely excited for some reason and was chatting to anyone who would listen, which happened to be Professors Slughorn, Ashain and Rivers - the Arithimancy professor who Scorpius disliked. None of them seemed to particular interested in what Professor Hagrid was saying though, Professor Slughorn seemed more focused on eating his mountain of food but looked happily enough and nodded occasionally to the giant, Professor Ashain looked utterly miserable as he twirled his fork around and around but didn't eat. Rivers just looked bored, he tended to do that when he wasn't the one who was speaking.

As Scorpius took a seat, he noticed that Calderon wasn't there - he hoped that meant that the assistant was resting - but Varanian was. The headmaster looked like he hadn't slept at all, he still had his tawny hair but looked in pain, had his hand on his head again. He wasn't even trying to eat. Scorpius was both disappointed to see he still hadn't been arrested but excited at the prospect of seeing it for himself, happily expecting Aurors to burst through the doors at any moment to take Varanian away. It didn't happen though. Every time someone walked through the door, Scorpius and Varanian both sat up and looked to see who it was but disappointingly it was always students or teachers.

"Thank Merlin you're alive!" Albus exclaimed as Scorpius glanced at the door once more to see his friend beaming as he saw him, coming over and taking a seat beside him, "we thought Varanian might have killed you or something. After we'd already started the detention he randomly came out and told us we never had to do it again, then we heard from Madam Pomfrey that he'd taken you for a special task in the middle of the night but she didn't know what or where you were. What happened?"

"I..." Scorpius started to say but stopped himself, Calderon hadn't exactly told him not to say anything but from their conversation earlier it seemed like it was one of those things that went without saying. He wrestled with the decision for a moment, he could trust his friends surely? They'd kept Varanian's secret after all - apart from the letter - but he trusted Calderon more, last time he hadn't listened the assistant had nearly died, "I can't tell you."

"What?!"

"I'm sorry, Albus, really I am but... I just can't."

Albus scowled at this but thankfully didn't push the matter further, Rose, Michael and Abby arrived shortly after and didn't seem to enjoy being in the dark either. Rose badgered him for the entire meal but he still wouldn't give in, she finally seemed to be giving up when the mail arrived. It actually didn't seem days out of date for once. He recognized the family owl immediately although oddly enough, it gave one letter to him and one to Rose. Rose tore open the paper and looked on the verge of tears as she read it, tossing it to them miserably. It was short but crushing.

_Dear Miss Rose Weasley,_

_I regret to inform you that I seem to have misplaced your letter, I came home and put it on the top of the pile to go out with the morning post but unfortunately it wasn't there the next day. I have searched but can't find where it went so I am writing this to just let you know so you can re-send another._

_Again, you have my apologies._

_Draco Malfoy_

"How could you lose a letter?" Abby asked incredulously.

"I bet he's sorry," Rose spat irritably, "should've known better than to trust a Malfoy. No offense."

Scorpius did feel slightly offended but he didn't say anything, he too was disappointed in his father. He had really been looking forward to seeing Varanian be arrested, the headmaster deserved to go to Azkaban for a long time. As he read through his own letter though he did realize that it had been a genuine mistake on his father's part, most of the letter was congratulating Scorpius on victory and saying how proud they were of him but some of it was apologies for not being able to stay but Varanian had threatened to expel him if his father didn't leave and his father said he knew how much it meant to him to stay in school so he had left, his father hoped he was alright and that his head didn't hurt too much. At the bottom though there was a bit about the letter, his father sounded almost humiliated to have failed at such a simple task.

He glared in Varanian's direction again, the headmaster still sitting up straight every time someone walked in the hall in case it was Aurors to arrest him. He certainly wouldn't be the one to break it to Varanian that he'd gotten lucky and wasn't going to be arrested that day, that would break the headmaster's remorse act and he rather liked seeing Varaniain squirm or jump. He wondered if that made him a bad person.

_Yes_, the voice spoke in his mind,_ its mean to enjoy someone's suffering even when they're bad. It'll make you bad too and you'll become just like them_

"Hey!" Professor Hagrid's cheerful booming voice greeted them and Scorpius jumped, he'd been too busy listening to the voice to notice the giant striding over. Scorpius wondered if he really was going mad.

_You and me both_

"Hey Hagrid," Rose, Albus and Abby greeted the giant almost in unison.

"Hello Professor," Scorpius said more politely and felt a bit bad for Michael, his friend just looked awkward as he didn't know the giant as well as they did. The trio had known Professor Hagrid all their lives and Scorpius knew him from his detentions but Michael didn't, he became very interested in the ceiling all of a sudden.

"An' congratulations on yer game, Scorpius! I was rootin' fer yer an' yer did great, well until James accidentally got yer in the head with that Bludger bu' yer still caught it so well done to yer! How's yer head?"

_You play Qudditch?_

"Good thanks," Scorpius offered with a polite smile but the giant had already moved on to whatever had him so ecstatic.

"Guess wha'?"

"What?" Albus offered glumly, everyone still in a slump over their dashed hopes for Varanian's arrest. The professor seemed to be in too good a mood to notice.

"Varanian finally agreed! Corin an' his frien' gets t' stay at Hogwarts with me fer Christmas!"

"That's great," Rose offered with slightly forced enthusiasm through their grief over the letter, Scorpius still had no idea who that was but he recalled the conversation from Halloween.

"An' yer should all get t' meet him! Well yer've met him before bu' this time yer should remember it."

"We look forward to it!" Abby said brightly and Professor Hagrid's smile widened before he said his goodbyes, saying he had to prepare for a class and they went back to their breakfasts.

"I wonder what he's like," Albus mused thoughtfully, "how old is he now? Like nine?"

"Ten," Rose corrected and Michael continued to look uncomfortable, "we haven't seen him since we were like five, I think?"

"Do you think he'll start Hogwarts next year?" Abby wondered, "or stay in Beauxbatons because they start learning magic younger and he already goes there."

"Okay," Michael spoke up, his voice still raspy, "what's Beauxbatons and who's Corin? If its a secret like what happened with Scorpius' mystery day yesterday then can we please talk about something else that I actually have a clue about."

"Corin is Hagrid's son," Rose explained and Scorpius blinked in surprise, he hadn't realized the professor had a son but thinking about it made sense, "Corin's mother is the headmistress of Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, that's another magic school in France."

"Ah right, cool."

"Yes but things didn't work out between Hagrid and Olympe because of the whole different countries thing but Corin lives in France with his mother so its hard for Hagrid to see him, especially since they start learning magic at eight in Beauxbatons so Corin's been busy with school since then. Hagrid doesn't get to see him as much as he'd like, he talks about him a lot though and I know they write."

"Well Corin's still lucky."

"How so?" Albus wondered looking surprised, "I'd hate if I didn't see my dad that much."

"Because his dad cares about him. My parents split up before I was born, they were both just teenagers and my dad's never really been there. He breezes into my life every so often when he can be bothered and is not in jail, he only stays for a day or so before he gets bored and annoyed that I'm... me, he's only remembered three of my birthdays and not once did he send me a card in the right month let alone the right day, he never bothers trying to stay in contact because its not like he cares about me or mum at all," Michael ranted looking somewhere between angry and upset before seeming to regret saying so much and his cheeks colored slightly, "so yeah... at least Hagrid tries and cares about his son and tries. Is that the bell? I think we have class. Good old class. Dying to get back into the fold so let's go."

* * *

_**Author's Note: **Sorry this took so long, got a new dog yesterday. Also to Aya Diefair, yeah there will be sequels, originally I was going to just do it all in one story but considering how long this is right now I'm going to do sequels because I think it will be easier. 50th chapter and I passed 150 reviews a while ago, feel like I should celebrate again! _

_**Thanks to: **Beccax95, Lucifersdaughter, Aya Diefair and Diddleymaz for reviewing!_


	51. I: To the End of November

They remained in low spirits for the rest of the day, his friends had really pinned their hopes on Varanian being arrested and so had Scorpius. Regardless of Varanian's charade he wasn't worried about Calderon going to Azkaban anymore, the headmaster had tried to murder him after all, he was as much a victim as they were and they couldn't send the assistant to Azkaban for that. He was happier the following day when Calderon was back on his feet though, even if he wasn't as energetic as usual and kept a flask of blood-replenishing potion that he was still taking - just with much longer intervals in-between doses - but he seemed cheerful enough considering he'd almost died. Scorpius wasn't sure why it annoyed him that no one noticed Calderon had almost died, no one knew when he was a hero, no one knew he nearly lost his life. It bothered him.

Things settled back into routine surprisingly quickly though, a happier routine. Varanian had been keeping true to his word about his friends being done with their detention, a week went by and not once did the headmaster drag them out to the wards. Although understandably they were still wary of Varanian changing his mind, in fact they were expecting it because Scorpius wasn't buying his niceness and thought as soon as Varanian realized he wasn't in danger of being arrested that he'd go back to being his usual self. It didn't happen though, in fact they saw less and less of Varanian as the week went by and every time they did he looked worse. By the Friday, Professor McGonagall had announced that the headmaster had taken ill.

"Good," Albus muttered bitterly under his breath, "I hope he dies."

"That's karma for you, I suppose," Michael added quietly.

_He won't die_, the voice in Scorpius' head said, _they won't let him die_

Scorpius just tried his best to ignore the voice, it had continued to talk to him all week. Mostly in the morning before classes or in the evening when he was catching up on his homework, unlike his friends he still had his detentions and also unlike his friends he continued to enjoy them. The voice did bother him though, even if it never said anything cruel or acted malicious - in fact often it seemed almost childishly amazed by things and usually tried to offer him advice even though it didn't seem to know much or made observations about his life or problems. It was the fact that he was hearing a voice in his head that no one else could hear that bothered him, he had no interaction with it beyond telling it to go away and it would go silent for awhile but it always came back. Scorpius was terrified he was losing his mind but he was even more terrified of telling someone, everyone would think he was mad and too unstable for school, he'd probably be locked up in St Mungo's for life.

He also continued to get the dreams, in his dreams he was now back in Marvin's house and Marvin's father Linden the gardener seemed to be in control although sometimes another man was there talking to Linden, he had the same voice as Selwyn and attempted to use the torture curse on Scorpius' dream body. Scorpius woke himself up every time he saw the man or Linden, he didn't want to know what it felt like to be tortured and he couldn't cope if he had to live though - even in a dream - being touched again by Linden. He would lie there for hours after he woke up, terrified of falling asleep again. He'd lie there rolling the orb around in his palms to calm himself and wondering why he was even having those dreams.

And they _were_ dreams, he knew they couldn't be true because wizards hadn't been involved and his parents had told him that the muggles were in jail, his parents wouldn't lie to him about something that important. Besides in his dreams any part of his body he saw had the same strangely colorless skin, it was beyond pale and no one had skin like that so it had to be a dream. He couldn't tell anyone about the dreams either, he'd have to tell his friends about his abduction then and he couldn't bring himself to do that and his parents finally seemed to think he might not be so broken after all. He'd thought of telling Calderon but the assistant had been so busy since Varanian's health issues had started, Scorpius didn't want to burden him more.

He hated getting the dreams as much as he hated the voice, he thought the two were connected, in fact he would bet most of his family's wealth that the voice and the dream-boy whose body he shared were the same consciousness. He had enough to deal with without his past haunting him in his dreams and a bunch of other randomness mixed in, he was still worried about Varanian and the blood runes after all, he did still have school and Quidditch practice - although they were practicing less times a week because it was nearing the Christmas holidays, also Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff needed the pitch for their upcoming game - and his detentions were taking up more of his time than ever.

With Varanian sick someone had to run the school, officially it was Professors Longbottom and McGonagall - who were the joint Deputy Headmasters of the school - but unofficially it fell on Calderon, really all the professors did was give Calderon approval for whatever he thought was right because he had yet to be wrong and his sixteen years there as assistant actually gave him a unique but thorough view of how the school worked, he knew who needed what and when and why - Scorpius had come to realize that Calderon had an incredible memory - but it also meant that as the assistant's assistant, he also had been busier because Calderon was.

None of this managed to earn Calderon a seat at the teacher's table however, the assistant continued to hover by the vacant headmaster's chair when there were announcements to be made. Scorpius didn't think that was fair. Although during the second week of Varanian's mystery illness - which happened to be the last week of November - Professor McGonagall stood up to make an announcement and Calderon started to whisper to her every time she went to open her mouth, finally she just turned to glare at him and snapped at him - loud enough for the staff and nearest students to hear - to give the announcement himself before promptly sitting back down.

Calderon looked like he'd been slapped in the face for a moment before he seemed to take the challenge, he put his fingers in his mouth and whistled, both loud and high-pitched enough to draw everyone's attention and make Scorpius rub his ears. People looked slightly irritated at first but Calderon paid them no mind, they cheered up when they heard the announcement, that the Hogsmeade trips were back on. Because of the Quidditch match they wouldn't be until December but for both of the weekends before the Christmas break anyone with permission would be allowed to go, the whole hall cheered. Calderon made all announcements after that, even if he kept his high-pitched to silence them, Scorpius supposed it matched his high-pitched laugh.

Molly was ecstatic to be able to go. She was literally bouncing up and down in her seat that night, failing at concentrating on her homework and unable to do anything but ramble excitedly, she rambled a lot when she was excited but Scorpius liked that. He liked her. He wasn't quite sure how and he couldn't explain it but it was different to how he liked his friends, the rest of the Quidditch team - minus James, Calderon, the teachers, the house-elves and his family. He liked hearing her laugh, he liked seeing her face, he liked the way her hair blew in the wind when she flew, he even liked the cute way she only bit the left side of her lip when she was thinking really hard about something on her homework. He didn't know why he felt like that. He knew it was weird, maybe even insane. He wondered if anyone else had ever felt like he did.

"Sorry," Molly apologized as her cheeks flushed, "I should probably stop talking about Hogsmeade since you can't come, only a few more years and you'll get to go too. Time goes faster than you think."

"It's okay, I don't mind," Scorpius offered with a smile he hoped was reassuring, "I'm glad you get to go. It must be exciting."

"It is! Although Uncle Aubrey told me its boring there."

"Your Uncle Aubrey?" Scorpius wondered, trying to recall the names of Albus and Rose's uncles but didn't remember an Aubrey.

"Yeah, he's a professor here. Only reason I took his class and he's disappointed that I suck at it and for some reason he always marks my homework in different handwriting."

"Your... Your uncle is Professor Rivers? The Arithimancy professor?" Scorpius said in amazement, his cheeks went as red as her hair, he was sure he'd pointed out dislike of the teacher before.

"Yep," Molly sighed, "on my mother's side, not my Weasley side. He's Mum's twin brother, Audrey and Aubrey, she has another brother too - Roman - but I don't really know him, he's ten years younger then them. Mum doesn't get along very well with her brothers, Roman never made any attempt to keep in touch after he graduated Hogwarts, despite Mum's best efforts and I don't think she really forgives Uncle Aubrey for what he did. Plus he's... kind of self-centered and insensitive, I don't think anyone likes him really although I don't think he realizes that or just doesn't care. That reminds me, it's his and Mum's fortieth birthday in December, he's a nightmare to buy for but I was going to get to Mum some of her favorite perfume, I've been saving up for it in case I ever get to Hogsmeade. Maybe I'll find something nice there and if I have any money spare then I want to buy a charm bracelet, I've always wanted one and I keep meaning to get one. There's so many birthdays to buy for, money never lasts. Sorry, I'm rambling again, I'm just going to go to bed before I talk us both to death. Night, Scorpius."

"Night, Molly," Scorpius offered as she started packing up her stuff, he watched her go and tried not to think about holding her hand. He slapped himself and went back to finishing his essay, his free hand went to the orb now that he was alone and he held it tightly, he found it comforting and much less weird than wanting to hold his friend's hand.

He'd almost thought that he wouldn't get to see the next Quidditch match, in truth he wasn't sure he wanted to but logically he knew it was good to see what competition he'd have when he was against both teams after the Christmas holidays. Despite his nerves and injury from his first game, he found watching the match not half as enjoyable as playing it and he almost felt jealous that the other team got to play, in fact he was jealous as they were the houses he'd wanted to be in. As Molly had said the Hufflepuff had a very strong defense which was an advantage, the Quaffle got nowhere near their Keeper but the Quaffle also got nowhere near the Ravenclaw Keeper for a long time either.

It was very much a stalemate for awhile, Hufflepuff blocked everything that Ravenclaw tried and one of the Beaters seemed to permanently hound the Ravenclaw Seeker so every time they seemed to get sight of the Snitch then the Beater would distract them with a Bludger. He actually felt bad for the Ravenclaw Seeker, not just because he was cheering for Ravenclaw - they were Professor Ashain's house after all - and didn't think much of the Hufflepuff Seeker, her reactions were slow and more than once he found himself thinking that he could've done better. The Ravenclaw Seeker caught the Snitch in the end, he called something to one of the Ravenclaw Beaters and when he next saw the Snitch that Beater hit a Bludger_ into_ the path of the one that Hufflepuff hit towards him. It effectively neutralized the Bludgers long enough for him to speed to the Snitch and win the game, 150-60. Scorpius considered him much more of a threat even as he cheered as loud as the Ravenclaws.

"Well I still think the Gryffindor versus Slytherin game was more interesting," Albus pointed out as everyone started filing back into the school, "and not just because its my house and two of my cousins, my brother and one of my best friends are on the team. Although that move at the end was clever."

"Yeah, that was smart but then Ravenclaws are supposed to be smart," Abby added.

"If Hufflepuff had a better Seeker than their tactics might have paid off a bit more," Rose said as they made it inside the castle.

"Definitely," Albus agreed with a nod.

"Hey Scor," Calderon's voice distracted him from his friends and Scorpius quickly identified the assistant as virtually the only person besides Varanian who hadn't been at the Quidditch match, he seemed oddly covered in grime like he had when they'd been down in the Chamber, his smile almost managed to hide the anxiety in his tired eyes, "can I talk to you for a sec?"

"See you later," Michael offered in his almost normal sounding voice, his friend had mostly recovered from James' curse by then although he still had to be careful of what he ate and still tired easily.

"This won't take long," Calderon promised and gently led Scorpius away from the crowd into an empty classroom where he lost his smile, "okay firstly you can have the day off today, catch up on your homework or be with your friends or whatnot because you'll be busy shortly. Secondly I just wanted to ask you about what happened in the Chamber of Secrets that night, if you saw what happened to the ball thing that was on top of the obelisk."

"Why?" Scorpius asked and it took every ounce of control to not shove his hand into his pocket to grasp the orb.

"Because I've been down there all night and all day and I couldn't find it."

"Why do you want to find it?"

"Well you know how Pippy's ill?" Calderon said and Scorpius nodded, even if he didn't know the specifics of whatever was wrong with him, "no one really knows why he's ill but I have a theory, in the letters Wodahs said it would be bad for Pippy's health if that ball - the orb - was broken. I think it was broken and that's why he's ill, I thought if I could find the pieces and fix it then he'd get better or find it and know its not that."

"Why do you want him to get better? He tried to murder us," Scorpius wondered in amazement but felt more relaxed that Varanian wasn't trying to kill anyone with the blood runes, not in that moment anyway.

"I don't like seeing people in pain, Scor."

"Well I'm sorry, I didn't see what happened to it," Scorpius lied. He_ lied_ to Calderon. He felt sick with guilt but he didn't want to give up the orb, it was safer with him then it would be if he ever gave it away and clearly it wasn't the reason for Varanian's bad health as it was perfectly intact so its not like it would help anyway.

"Okay, thanks," Calderon sighed and looked melancholy, "back to the drawing board on how to save him, or maybe I should write to Wodahs... Wodahs might know something to help him."

"Its not your responsibility to save him, leave it to the healers. I'm sure it has nothing to do with the orb."

"Poppy has no clue either, nor do the few who've been over from St Mungo's. Physically they can't find anything that would cause the crippling headaches and weakness, nothing they've tried has helped in any way at all."

"That's karma for you, I suppose," Scorpius repeated Michael's previous words and to his surprise Calderon laughed shrilly, shaking his head.

"I don't believe in karma," the assistant pointed out but his smile returned, "see you tomorrow, Scor."

Scorpius took out the orb the second that Calderon was gone, rolling it around gently on his palm. He bit his lip and wondered if he should have told Calderon about it, he felt horrible for lying but... he didn't want to tell Calderon about the orb, he was afraid that the assistant would take it away from him. Maybe he would even return it to Varanian because clearly he believed Varanian's lies of remorse - he'd just believed Scorpius' lie after all - Varanian was probably faking being ill just to gain sympathy. Scorpius was protecting them both, not to mention everyone in school, by keeping the orb for himself so it was alright to lie. Just one little lie. Calderon would understand if he knew, Scorpius knew he would pocketed the orb and went back to his friends.

* * *

"Have a new task for you," Brutus' voice announced gruffly and Lucius' eyes snapped open, he'd fallen asleep at his desk. Again. He groaned and sat up straight, his head was still throbbing painfully and much to irritation the Soul Eater had helped himself to Lucius' liquor. Again, "I'm sorry, did I disturb your beauty sleep?"

"Yes," Lucius snapped and tried not to regret it, wary of their last encounter, "not that someone as hideous you would understand that."

"You really don't think I haven't heard every jibe in the book about my appearance by now?" Brutus growled and gulped down some of the alcohol, one of the most expensive Lucius owned, "I was born like this, just minutes into the New Year. My filthy mudblood bitch of a mother abandoned me on my father me a few hours later, he gave me the ugliest name he could think of to match: Brutus Hephaestus Ashain. He thought it was rather clever, my grandparents of course would have preferred him to toss me into a river with a brick for company."

"Smart people."

"Yes, you'd probably like them. My grandmother however died years ago but my grandfather is still alive."

"I really don't care."

"You should because your next task is to get acquainted with him."

"What?!" Lucius burst out incredulously, "why in Merlin's name would your master approve of that?! I have no desire to waste my time with a disgraced family."

"Corvinus is a collector of rare magical artifacts," Brutus explained calmly as he slumped into the couch, "he happens to have something that we need."

"And you can't just trick him into selling his soul or possess him or whatever it is your Specters do?"

"No. His collection has unwittingly made the mansion into a fortress, much like Hogwarts is protected so is his home, he never leaves and my father's paranoia for his safety unwittingly made all of our attempts unsuccessful to retrieve the object in question. Eventually we got the object from somewhere else but now its either destroyed or otherwise beyond our reach so we need another one or the spell won't work so we need the one he has so you have to get close to him and convince him to give it you."

"Why me?"

"Because he can relate to you, you're the head of a once respected pure-blood family that has fallen into disgrace just like him. You'll interest him, he hasn't spoken to anyone interesting in a long time and he'll jump at the chance to be in contact with someone of a similar social status. Write to him, pretend to care about his collection, include frustrations about your unfair fall from disgrace and pure-blood mania, also play to his ego. Don't say anything about caring about your family, he considers that pathetic because he's incapable of caring about anyone besides himself. Build up a rapport and in a few months ask to meet."

"Is that all?" Lucius grumbled irritably.

"For now," Brutus commented darkly and vanished into the shadows with Lucius' best liquor.

Lucius sighed heavily and clutched his aching head, at least the Soul Eater didn't seem to be aware that he hadn't destroyed the letter, only hidden it just to see if they would notice. He'd been afraid that Brutus would know, he hadn't actually risked trying to read the letter yet or even removing it from its hiding place but the fact that they hadn't noticed meant they didn't know every last thing about his life. Or it could be that whatever happened had temporarily incapacitated the ever-watchful master, which was why he was afraid to read it but he did want to know what it contained. He wanted to know what they were after, what they wanted. Although he had a horrible feeling that when he eventually found out their plans that he'd wish he didn't. He wondered how much he'd be able to regret before he lost his soul.

* * *

_**Author's Note: **Sorry this took so long again, I'm just having a hard debating how to do this month because there's upcoming important events that would have to be from OC point of views over the upcoming Christmas holidays so having trouble deciding whether to have them in or just the impact/reactions of Lucius and Scorpius and hearing about them second hand. Yeah random babbling, not important now but is distracting me. Oh well, I have actually done more than this but am splitting the chapter so you have something to read in the meantime plus its a good place to stop so here you go!  
_

_Also to **Lucifersdaughter:** Yes, I intend do all of Scorpius' years, this follows his life. Originally I was going to do all of Scorpius' years in separate fics and have them all named "Scorpius Malfoy and the... something" but then I saw a fic that had all the years in it so I thought that was useful I'd just combine all the years into this one "Gray" but this is a lot longer than I thought (it really seems shorter in my head!) so now I might go back to my original plan  
_

_**Thanks to:** Lucifersdaughter, Aya Diefair (yay about the drawing!) and Diddleymaz for reviewing!_


	52. I: In Sickness and In Health

Calderon hadn't been kidding when he'd said that Scorpius would be busy soon. In the first week of December he'd been given the task of asking every pupil in the school whether they intended to stay or go home for the holidays, writing it down on a magical list that cycled through names when he tapped the edges of the page. He hadn't realized how many students there actually were in the school until he had to chronicle all of their Christmas plans, he wasn't particularly outgoing so having to talk to every last pupil really didn't appeal to him. Although it wasn't technically every pupil because Calderon was doing it as well but it was still a lot more than Scorpius liked.

The majority of people were going anyway, a handful were staying and an annoying amount said they hadn't decided yet, he had to come back to them. He felt like some kind of demented version of Santa going around with a list, checking it twice to make sure he hadn't missed any names. The first week of December wasn't fun and he knew he was in a bad mood but he couldn't help it, it was taking up almost all his free time and he didn't even like Christmas - not since Marvin had ruined it for him anyway - and it frustrated him how many people would start to excitedly tell him about their plans or brag about what gifts they were getting.

At the start of the second week he was surprised - but incredibly relieved - to find that the only names left uncheked were himself and his friends, he rushed to find his friends who were studying in the library. He couldn't wait to be done.

"Hey!" Scorpius greeted them cheerfully and Michael raised an eyebrow as he sat down with them.

"Finally finished your list, Scorpius Claus?" Albus commented sarcastically and grinned at his own joke, Scorpius was too relieved to care.

"Just need to ask you and I'm done. Although I'm guessing I already know since all other Longbottoms are going home, I assume you are too Abby?"

"Yep," Abby said with a smile, "it'll be the first Christmas in the rebuilt Leaky Cauldron, I can't wait to see what my new room is like and Dad said we're getting extra presents to make up for everything we lost in the fire."

"Okay. Albus? Guessing you and Rose are both going too as all your cousins are."

"Yeah, we are," Rose spoke up as Albus nodded but she looked slightly worried, "don't get me wrong, I'm looking forward to seeing my family again and my dad especially as he didn't visit him in hospital after he regained consciousness... I turned it down because I was afraid of Varanian erasing my memory again, I really don't want to lose my memories."

"Varanian is still sick, no one knows what's wrong with him. I don't think he could erase your memory right now."

"I hope he's suffering."

"He's probably faking," Albus snorted as Scorpius wrote down that the trio were all going, he hesitated before adding he was going too, that only left Michael who he assumed was going too but he'd ask him just to be sure. His free hand instinctively went to his pocket to hold the orb, it relaxed him.

"Are you guys doing anything about him?" Michael wondered, finally sounding like himself again, "you know, assuming he doesn't recover and wipe your memories. You'll be with your families and he can't stop you from telling, are you going to? Even though he's stopped and is sick and all."

"If I have any memory left then yes!" Rose burst out determinedly, "he still committed a crime, more than one crime and he deserves to go to Azkaban for it even if he's stopped now because he's sick, not to mention it protects us or anyone else from suffering at his hands in the future."

"Okay, glad we got that sorted," Scorpius commented, feeling a bubble of hope that he might come back after Christmas and find Varanian gone, "so are you going over the holidays, Michael?"

"No," Michael answered quickly and everyone jolted in shock, "I'm staying in Hogwarts. My stepdad was pretty clear about that."

"But Christmas is utterly miserable without your family."

"Then I guess I'll just be utterly miserable."

"My dad always said Christmas at Hogwarts is great," Albus offered seeing the change of mood, "and we'll buy you loads of presents."

"It's fine," Michael brushed it with a dismissive wave and cheerful smile. Scorpius couldn't tell whether it was genuine or not as he scribbled down that Michael H. Sanford was staying.

"I'll go give this back to Calderon and then I should be done," Scorpius said, deciding it was best to not make a big deal out of it as he jogged back to the assistant.

Calderon who was still in Varanian's office going through the names on the list so he'd know who was staying over the holidays, he needed to know so he'd know how much food would be needed to accommodate them as well as how much staff they'd need. The staff also had the option of staying or going for the holidays as well but a certain number had to stay depending on how many pupils stayed, if not enough was staying for the students then Calderon had to ask for volunteers to change their plans. It was more complicated than Scorpius would have thought a few months ago, things didn't just magically happen at Hogwarts - well they did - but only because the staff were putting the effort into it.

"All done?" Calderon offered, looking up from the list on the headmaster's desk. The welt had faded from his cheek by then but his eyes were still ringed with tiredness and the rune symbol remained scarred into the palm of his left hand from the obelisk, Scorpius noticed it looked almost as livid as when he'd first gotten it when he handed Calderon the list, "okay so that's about it then, everyone is accounted for."

"What's accounted for?" Varanian's voice questioned and both Scorpius and Calderon jumped in surprise as the headmaster appeared from the entrance to his bedroom.

Scorpius hadn't seen the headmaster for around a fortnight and in truth he looked terrible, Scorpius didn't think he'd seen anyone look more exhausted in his life. Varanian made no effort to hide his scars, they looked somehow worse on such an ashen face, there was a sheen of sweat on his brow and he kept blinking as if it hurt to keep his eyes open, every time he blinked they were different colors. His hair was tawny and scruffier than every other time that Scorpius had seen his hair like that, he seemed even thinner than usual and was shaking, he had one hand to his head and another leaning on the wall for support.

Calderon jumped up immediately to allow the headmaster to take his seat back, Varanian staggered across the room and with every trembling step it seemed more likely that his legs would give way. He made it to the desk though and collapsed into it. Scorpius actually thought he'd passed out for moment but his head came back up, breathing heavily as if he'd just ran a marathon instead of staggered across a room. He held his head in his hands for a moment before looking back up determinedly, one eye black and one bloodshot gray and had seemed to be breathing more normal, he was still shaking though.

"Well?" Varanian questioned looking between them, "I'm still headmaster of this school, I want to know what's going on. What were you talking about?"

"Just the, the... err... list of people staying or going over the holidays," Calderon answered, hovering by the headmaster and looking worried, "are you feeling any better?"

"No. But I'm not an invalid, I can't just lie in bed forever and wait to get better or I'm as useless as those healers, they can't even find out what's wrong with me. I can still think and I want to know what's happening."

"Nothing much, just getting ready for the Christmas Holidays. Its covered, there's nothing for you to worry about and you hate Christmas anyway. Are you sure you don't want to rest?"

"I'm fine and hating something doesn't stop it from existing," Varanian commented and rested his head on a quivering hand, "you know this Christmas it'll be twenty years since we met?"

"I know, I remember," Calderon said quietly.

Scorpius scowled slightly, that couldn't be right. Twenty years ago had been during the Second Wizarding War, neither of them had started working at Hogwarts then, Calderon would've been a teenager and he was pretty sure that twenty years ago was when Varanian's family were being murdered by Death Eaters. They couldn't possibly have met then. Varanian must have meant ten years rather than twenty, he still didn't think Varanian had been at Hogwarts that long but he might have had a job interview or something and Calderon had met him then but Varanian wasn't hired until a few years later. That was probably it, Calderon just didn't feel like correcting a sick person.

"Why are you here again?" Varanian questioned weakly and drew Scorpius from his thoughts as he realized he was being spoken to, he had to fight the urge to put his hand in his pocket to hold the orb.

"He was helping me with the list, he was just about done actually," Calderon answered and Varanian promptly dismissed him with a wave of his still trembling scarred hand before he gave a groan of pain and clutched at his head.

"Okay," Varanian muttered as Scorpius headed to the exit, "I think I need to rest now or I'll pass out."

Scorpius was starting to wonder if Varanian was actually dying as he went back to his friends, the headmaster certainly didn't seem healthy. He lay awake that night thinking about the brief conversation, rolling the orb around in his hands to relax himself as he had taken to doing. He wouldn't go as far as saying that he wanted Varanian to die, he couldn't bring himself to be that cruel but it would solve a lot of their problems, he could finally stop worrying about what Varanian would do next and the school would be safe from him.

_I told you, he won't die_

"Shut up, voice," Scorpius whispered irritably as he put the orb back on his bedside table, rolling onto his side so he could watch it as he fell asleep.

The next few days were much more relaxing for Scorpius, his detentions returned to the more normal tasks that he was used to and enjoyed although he made extra effort to be done faster to spend time with his friends as he was trying to think of things to get them for Christmas and wanted to make sure he got them something they would like. They were his first friends besides Yip and he wasn't allowed to buy presents for the house-elf lest he accidentally free him, he did always let Yip have some of his inevitable candy though, the house-elf had a bit of a sweet tooth when he was allowed.

It was only nearer to the end of the week that he was shocked to come into dinner and see Varanian sitting at the headmaster's chair once more, he looked healthy, unscarred with slick jet-black hair, he didn't shake or seem weak or in pain and his hand didn't touch his head at all, he sat up straight and ate as if nothing had ever been wrong with him. He noticed Albus grumbling under his breath at this as they sat down as his friend also noticed Varanian's apparent recovery.

_I told you_

"And I told you to shut up," Scorpius muttered under his breath, he panicked for a second but his friends seemed to have thought he was grumbling like Albus had been.

"I guess he's recovered," Abby said with a sigh.

"Its weird, he seemed really ill a few days ago."

"Maybe he's not as better as he seems, its just his metamorphmagi ability is better at hiding it," Rose offered and Scorpius inclined his head at it being a possibility as his free hand went to hold the orb, Varanian did hide his scars that way after all, "I'll have to ask Teddy over the holidays."

Varanian didn't seem to get worse though, he did seem to have recovered from whatever had been wrong with him. Just like that he seemed better, he started attending all meals again and Calderon was no longer working so hard to keep the school running. Scorpius thought it was odd but then they had no idea what had been wrong with him in the first place so it wasn't helpful, he asked Calderon about it but he was clueless to why Varanian had suddenly recovered as the rest of them.

"He screamed for me because was having a fit," Calderon explained, "my magic had no effect so I ran to get Poppy and by the time we got there he seemed perfectly healthy, no pain, no fits, no weakness, no shaking. She can't explain it, none of the healers can."

Scorpius supposed it could be worse though, Varanian seemed to have recovered but he didn't make his friends return to the detentions with the blood runes for which all of them were relieved. They were starting to feel cautiously optimistic as their last week of school before the holidays started, his friends especially seemed to feel hopeful that they'd be able to tell their parents because soon they would be home and there was nothing Varanian could do to stop that. He could still erase their memories though.

He still felt a knot of fear in the back of his mind, after all Varanian had almost used an unforgivable curse to torture Scorpius - who was only eleven - and had almost succeeded in killing Calderon - who was the only person Varanian seemed even remotely close to. Despite everything that had happened after the events of that night, it said a lot about the lengths Varanian was willing to go to.

_He's going to win in the end. Real life isn't like stories, the bad guys always win and there's no one to save you and nothing you can do_

"You're cheerful today," Scorpius pointed out, once again lying on his bed holding his orb at night, everyone else seemed to be asleep.

_I just want to go home. I try to sleep as much as I can because in my dreams I'm with you and your life is a lot better than mine but I always have to wake up, I always have to wake up and get hurt. I just want to go home, I just want it to stop_

"Can't you just go away? I have enough to deal with without going insane right now."

_Why can't you just help me? I try be nice to you and help you but you always just tell me to shut up or go away, why do you hate me so much?_

"You're not real, I'm just losing my mind because... because maybe I am - _slightly_ - damaged by what happened to me and... I don't know why but it created you but you're not real and if I just try hard enough to ignore you then my mind will give up and I'll not be crazy anymore, you'll be gone forever and my past will never bother me again, I'll be normal again and I'll be happy," Scorpius explained clutching the orb tightly, he knew it probably sounded confusing it made sense to him and that was what mattered.

_Is it really so hard for you to believe that maybe we're both real and just have some kind of magical connection? _

"Yes! Yes that is so hard to believe! It was muggles, no magic was involved - _at all_ - in what happened to me. It was those filthy muggles, they're the worst kind of being imaginable and _they_ hurt me. No one else. Nothing magical. Since no magic was involved there's no weird magical connection and so you're not real."

_You don't think its hard for me to believe that everything that happened to you is real too? With the Chamber of Secrets and headmaster and everything? But somewhere deep down I know you exist and these aren't just dreams I'm having. I think you know that too_

"NO!" Scorpius screamed angrily, "you're wrong!"

"Err... you okay there?" Michael's voice queried sleepily from beyond the drapes. Scorpius blanched. He hadn't meant to be so loud.

"Hmm...?" Scorpius called back, trying to sound like he'd just woken up, "was dreaming."

"Dream quieter!" Reuben's voice complained.

"I'll try," Scorpius muttered and put the orb by the bedside, rolling onto his side to watch it as he tried to fall asleep. The voice thankfully stayed silent.

In fact it stayed silent for the rest of the week but the frequency of Scorpius' dreams increased, the strange dreams of being trapped in the room in a body that he couldn't control. He would still wake himself up the second he realized his dream-body wasn't alone but a lot of the times now he was alone, his dream-self would just be crying. Scorpius would never say a word.

It was only the start of the third week that Varanian came to see them after class, Scorpius gripped the orb in his pocket and wished it was his hand around Varanian's throat as anger flooded him at the thought of the headmaster hurting his friends again. But Varanian called Scorpius over and dismissed Michael, only wanting Abby, Albus, Rose, Scorpius and Nott to come with him to his office. Despite his reservations about Varanian, Scorpius had really wanted to be wrong.

Nott gave an amused snort as they reached the gargoyle to Varanian's office, the headmaster had changed the password to 'I hate Christmas' which earned the Slytherin a dark look. Scorpius did notice with his own eyes that Varanian's health really had improved, from a distance his ability may make it easy to hide but being a metamorphmagi wouldn't make him able to hide the shaking and weakness up close. The bitterness was back in his silvery eyes though, he leaned against his desk and glared between each of them. There was an uncomfortable silence as they waited for Varanian to speak, minutes went by and Scorpius was actually considering asking him before Calderon arrived.

"There you are, Marius," Varanian stated coldly as the assistant came over to them, looking between the five first years and the headmaster with concern, "Scorpius, get out of the way over there. Marius, I want you to heal them."

"Heal them?" Calderon repeated bemusedly.

"Yes. Wouldn't want them to go back to their families with runes on their chests now, would we?"

"I... guess not."

"So heal them. That's what you wanted, isn't it?"

"Isn't that bad for your health?" Scorpius wondered worriedly but Varanian only shot him a dark look as he grabbed his arm and pulled him to one side out of the way.

Calderon looked hesitant but Scorpius knew he would do it, he tried not to worry. After all, Calderon had healed Abby and Rose before and had survived. Varanian didn't let go of his arm, it happened to be his right arm and Scorpius had a feeling it was to prevent him from grabbing his wand in case he would try to stop it. Scorpius' left hand twitched and he realized he'd instinctively put his hand in his pocket and was holding the orb, he was suddenly terrified of letting go and Varanian noticing. At least it was the opposite side to Varanian so he was less likely to notice and Calderon was too busy raising his palm to heal the others to even glance in his direction to notice he was holding something in his pocket.

Scorpius was hit by a wave of guilt, had he actually been more worried about the orb's safety than _Calderon_? He noticed the others' eyes widening in shock for a moment, Calderon had raised the arm with the rune on his palm. He hadn't told his friends about that. Light erupted from Calderon's palm towards the four first years, Scorpius was forced to turn his head away because it was so bright, brighter than the sun itself.

Then the light was gone. It suddenly seemed very dark. Scorpius looked back and saw Calderon's rune scar was bleeding, the assistant wavered and looked about to pass out. Scorpius tried to go to him but Varanian still had a grip on his arm, he yanked Scorpius back forcefully to whisper to him.

"Take Marius to his room, make sure he's alright."

Scorpius shot the headmaster a dark look as his arm was let go, Calderon would be alright if not for Varanian, his friends and Nott wouldn't even have needed healing if not for Varanian. He really hated Varanian. He ran over to Calderon who had gripped the desk to steady himself, he was out of breath and seemed to be fighting to keep his eyes open.

"Come on," Scorpius offered taking Calderon's free hand and trying to lead him away, he seemed reluctant and wasn't in any condition to object, Varanian also told him to go rest and he went with Scorpius.

"That was... difficult," Calderon commented weakly as the made it into the corridor, staggering and Scorpius grabbed his arm to steady him, "healing really... takes... it out of you."

"Don't try to talk," Scorpius said as Calderon's head started to loll, pulling his arm slightly to prompt the assistant to start walking again.

It was awkward getting Calderon back to his room, it would have been much easier for an adult at least to help him back but Scorpius supposed that would alert someone else to the blood runes, also probably why he had said to take Calderon to his room and not the hospital wing. He thought Varanian should have helped him instead, thinking of that started him off on a new line of worry. Why hadn't he? Why had he wanted to stay with Abby, Albus and Nott? He was hit by another wave of guilt, had he done the right thing in leaving them there? At least if he had had Calderon heal them then it was unlikely he was going to kill them. Unless it was just so they'd have clean corpses. Scorpius continued to be wracked by guilt, he hoped they'd be okay but he couldn't exactly leave Calderon and go back. He actually preferred Varanian sick.

* * *

_**Thanks to: **Winged-panther1, Lucifersdaughter and Diddleymaz for reviewing!_


	53. I: The Power of the Orb

It felt like an age before they got back to Calderon's room, the assistant practically collapsed onto his bed and closed his eyes. Scorpius almost thought he was asleep for a moment but Calderon raised his hands, pointing at the bleeding one and a bandage appeared in a flash of light and snaked its way around the injured hand, wounding itself tighter and securely around the injured hand.

"I'll be fine, Scor, I just need to sleep it off," Calderon promised letting his hands fall back down, "if he erases your friends memories then go straight to Minerva - Professor McGonagall - and tell her what he did to them and you, everything except the night with the obelisk in the Chamber of Secrets. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Scorpius said, genuinely surprised by Calderon's change of heart and from what he said next, it was almost like Calderon had read his mind.

"Its not healthy to try erase or alter people's memories at the best of times, let alone when your magic's screwy and his has been off since his recovery, memories are tricky."

"Okay."

"You can go."

Scorpius nodded and left Calderon to rest, feeling slightly more at ease and slightly more guilty. He recalled when Calderon had healed him, had he needed to rest to recover from that too? Had it really been a good idea to leave his friends alone with Varanian? Should he have tried to stop Varanian letting Calderon heal them in the first place? He hadn't known about Varanian's magic being 'off' since his recovery and he had wanted his friends to be healed. He was torn between going back to the headmaster's office to check on them or to wait for them in Gryffindor Tower, or possibly go to a bathroom first to wash his hands as they were sticky with Calderon's blood. He hoped Varanian hadn't done anything to his friends memories, he didn't want them to lose their memories and he actually didn't want to tell Professor McGonagall about any of it. He felt like it would be putting a target on her back and he didn't want her to be in danger.

He was distracted by the sounds of laughter, it seemed so out of place in the melancholy halls of his mind that he had to look. He peered out into the courtyard where the snow blanketing the ground was being utilized in a snowball fight, students of various years and houses were running around, shrieking with laughter as they hurled the lumps of snow at each other. Scorpius shook his head, they were acting like children.

"Ah, snowball fight," Professor Ashain commented and Scorpius jumped in surprise as he realized the professor had come round the bend while he'd been watching, also glancing outside to see what he'd been looking at. Scorpius became very aware of the blood on his hands and plunged his hands into his pockets, clutching the orb instinctively for comfort, "me and my brother tried that once when we were children - before either of us were old enough for Hogwarts, Brutus was clobbering me until I figured out that I could use magic to deflect them back at him, he angrily stormed off and refused to play anymore."

"A sore loser?" Scorpius guessed.

"Not in this case, at the time he just hated that his little brother could do magic better than he could. I got him to come back with the promise of showing him how to do it, I couldn't so I just started deflecting them for him and making it look like he was doing it. He was so happy he excitedly got our grandparents to come see because was out, my grandfather noticed I was doing it and not Brutus. He pointed this out to Brutus and mocked him for his failure until he ran off crying, then my grandfather punished me for trying to help my brother and for wasting their valuable time," Professor Ashain said with a sigh as he shook his head and turned away, Scorpius expected him to carry on his way but his eyes widened in shock as he glanced at Scorpius, "why is your pocket glowing?!"

It was Scorpius' turn to look shocked again and he lowered his gaze to see what in the world the professor was talking about, the pocket containing the orb was indeed glowing with a fierce crimson light. He immediately let go of the orb and pulled his hand away as if burned, it didn't stop glowing.

"What have you got in your pocket?" Professor Ashain questioned and Scorpius wished he would let it go, terrified of the professor finding the orb and trying to think of something he could say to get out of it, to explain the flow. His mouth opened and closed but he couldn't think of anything, "whatever it is, take it out. Now."

Scorpius met the professor's dark brown eyes, he looked incredibly serious and a feeling of hopeless settled on Scorpius as he drew the orb from his pocket. It continued to glow and was now the color of Calderon's blood, some of which now marred the orb's surface - transferred from Scorpius' hand - Scorpius had never seen it red before. Professor Ashain looked furious as he snatched the orb from his hand, wiping the blood off with his sleeve and the orb stopped glowing and went back to gray in the professor's hand.

Scorpius thought it was really odd, maybe the orb didn't like being touched by blood? He almost vocalized the thought before he saw the still storming fury in his favorite professor's eyes, Scorpius wasn't sure why as he was commanded to follow and led away. Scorpius wasn't sure what he'd done wrong, hadn't Professor Ashain thought it would be bad for Varanian to have an orb? Shouldn't he be pleased that Scorpius now had it? Maybe he didn't realize what it was or thought Scorpius had stolen it... Scorpius supposed that technically he might have stolen it but if it was stop Varanian from killing Calderon then how was it bad? He was extremely anxious by the time they reached Professor Ashain's office, the professor slammed the door behind them and Scorpius flinched in shock.

"What the hell are you playing at?!" Professor Ashain demanded angrily, "don't you know how dangerous it is to bind your soul to an orb?! Even more dangerous as you were doing it wrong, I'm surprised you aren't in pain from it!"

"I don't..." Scorpius started to say, extremely confused by what he was talking about, Scorpius hadn't been binding his soul to it... had he? Before he could finish his sentence the professor grabbed his bloody hands and checked them as for wounds, seeming surprised to not find any.

"Where did you cut yourself, Scorpius?"

"I didn't. It's not my blood."

"It's not your blood?!" Professor Ashain burst out looking horrified, Scorpius would have thought it would have been a good thing, "whose blood is it?! You can't bind someone else's soul to the orb! You could have killed them!"

"I didn't... what?" Scorpius wondered feeling even more confused and suddenly afraid for Calderon, "I don't understand, I don't why it did all that, I just happened to touch it with blood on my hand. Is that bad? I don't know what you're talking about."

"Okay," Professor Ashain said with a deep sigh that seemed to calm him a bit, "this is an orb that goes with that blood rune obelisk we found before, its an important part of the spell. You see, the magic can either protect against good or evil depending on who controls it and the one who binds their soul to the orb is the one who controls it. The orb recognizes the binder's soul as good or evil and protects against the opposite when the spell is activated, without the orb the protection can't be activated at all. To bind your soul to the orb you need to spill your blood, cover the orb in it completely and hold it in your hand as you say the spell that binds you. The orb... sucks in your blood and binds your soul to it, then the magic works for you alone until your death or someone else binds their soul to it, those are the only ways to break its hold over you. Its dangerous though, Scorpius, the orb is powerful but fragile and if its broken when your soul is bound to it... well the translation isn't clear exactly but it apparently destroys you. Which is why you shouldn't be trying to bind your soul to it, or anyone else's soul for that matter. Its powerful magic."

"I wasn't... I wasn't trying to do that. I didn't even know it did that," Scorpius admitted and Professor Ashain studied him intently for a long moment as if trying to decide whether he was telling the truth or not before finally seeming to accept it.

"Alright. Whose blood was it then?"

"Calderon's. He... cut himself doing something for Varanian and I tried to help him bandage it and got some blood on my hands. He went back to his room to rest and I was going to go wash my hands before I met you."

"Alright, I'll check on him shortly. I know I'm going to regret asking this but where did you get the orb from?"

"Erm... I found it," Scorpius said starting at the ground, it wasn't exactly a lie. It was just extremely vague.

"Found it in Varanian's office maybe?" Professor Ashain wondered and Scorpius did nothing to confirm or deny it, the professor sighed, "you shouldn't take things from teacher's offices, especially not from the headmaster's office."

"I know but... I couldn't leave it. Varanian already has the obelisk, the orb and all he would need are the wards before he could destroy the school's protection and kill someone to activate the magic."

"I really don't think he would take it that far, besides he's been sick lately."

"Maybe he was sick from something to do with the blood runes, like he tried to use them," Scorpius offered and looked up to gauge Professor Ashain's reaction, if he thought Varanian would use them then maybe he'd be alright with Scorpius taking it and would even give it back, the professor was scowling worriedly as he watched the gray orb in his hand, "are you going to give it back?"

"I... err..." Professor Ashain started but fell silent, he watched the orb for a long time as if lost in thought. Finally he sighed again as he closed his hand around the orb, "okay this is a very extreme unique situation, do you understand? Stealing is incredibly wrong and I'm taking ten points from you for doing that, keeping things from their rightful owner is also incredibly wrong and in any other situation I would give this back but... _for now only_, its probably safer to keep it away from Varanian. Just in case he does try to use it."

"I understand," Scorpius said and managed not to look as cheerful as he felt for getting the orb back as he held out his hand for it, "I'll keep it safe, I promise."

"I'm not giving it back to you!" Professor Ashain protested and Scorpius' heart sank.

"Please, I've kept it safe so far. I won't let it be destroyed or break, I'll protect it with my life."

"No, Scorpius."

"That's not fair! It's mine! I took it, I took care of it, its not fair of you to take it from me!"

"No."

"But I need it!" Scorpius screamed and the professor looked taken aback, a part of him felt the same but mostly he _knew_ he needed the orb, it felt like it was a life or death situation, "I _need_ it!"

"Why do you need it?"

"I don't know! But I have to have it! I need it!"

"Scorpius-"

"NO! I NEED THE ORB!"

Prof- _Ashain_ - Scorpius decided he didn't deserve to be called professor when he was taking the orb from him just looked at him worriedly. But it couldn't be worry, if he actually cared then he would give Scorpius the orb. Didn't he realize how much he needed it? He felt like he would die without it. He was shaking and sweating just at the thought of being separated from it, how bad would it be if he lost it? He wanted to cry. Maybe that was why Varanian had been sick, from being separated from the orb. Scorpius wasn't an adult like the headmaster, he couldn't survive without it, he _had_ to have it.

Ashain said something that sounded like 'I have to try something' but Scorpius didn't care about any words he said that weren't about giving him the orb. His hand went to his wand in his pocket as Ashain took a knife out of one of his desk drawers, Scorpius' heart thundered in panic, was he going to destroy the orb?! He couldn't do that! Ashain placed the orb on the desk and it went back to cycling between the three colors, he looked confused by this and said something else but Scorpius ignored it as his focus rested only on the knife. He gripped his wand in readiness and filled himself with readiness, he hadn't been kidding about dying for the orb, he would do anything for the orb. He didn't care what Ashain did to him but he _would_ protect it, no matter what.

Ashain didn't bring the knife to the orb though, he brought it to his hand and sliced across the palm, cringing at the pain. Scorpius blinked in confusion but relaxed his grip on his wand, if the enemy of the orb wanted to weaken itself then he certainly wasn't going to stop it. Ashain picked up the orb with his bloody hand, the orb became red and crimson light immediately shone from it. Scorpius couldn't take his eyes off it, even though logic told him that it probably wasn't healthy to stare at such a bright red light. The blood wrapped itself around the orb and he couldn't actually tell what was blood and what was orb, vaguely he was aware of Ashain muttering something and in response the crimson melded into the suddenly gray orb and light exploded outwards.

Scorpius blinked and realized he was now lying on the ground. He scrambled to his feet and saw Professor Ashain had slumped into his chair, his eyes were flickering weakly open as he gazed at the again-gray orb on his palm. Scorpius felt immediately guilty as he pocketed the wand, had he actually been considering attacking his favorite professor to protect the stupid orb?

"Are you feeling better?" Professor Ashain questioned as he put the orb on the desk, curiously it remained gray as he conjured a bandage for his hand.

"What just happened?" Scorpius wondered worriedly, "did you just bind your soul to it? Didn't you say that was bad?"

"The orb has a kind of sentience, if its separated from its master for too long then it starts seeking out another because it wants to be used. Every time its held it sees the holder's soul, it gives it a kind of access and can influence them. The more you touch it, the more influence it has. Its subtle, first it makes you just like touching it so it'll give it more access to you then it makes you want to protect it, eventually convincing you that binding your soul to it is the only way to protect it, when you're bound it tries to convince you to use it."

"And it was doing that to me?"

"I think so."

"I don't care about protecting it now," Scorpius pointed out and the professor smiled weakly, in fact he almost wished he'd destroyed it while it was still bound to Varanian, "why did you bind your soul to it?"

"I told you, the only way to break its hold is with the binder's death or if someone else binds their soul to it. Varanian is now free from it and so are you and so is anyone else it influenced, it has to start again."

"Doesn't it mean that if it gets destroyed then something bad will happen to you though?"

"Yes. But it also means that Varanian can't use the obelisk, even if he has the wards, even if he wants to."

"Do you think the only reason Varanian's so obsessed with protecting the school is because of the orb?"

"No, definitely not. My grandfather's had his orb for a very long time, he could barely keep his hands off it last time I saw him but he has no obelisk or wards and he wanted to use it before it got the orb. Its subtle and plays on what you already want but it can't force you to do anything you wouldn't normally do in the right circumstances, Varanian's not suddenly going to stop being so paranoid, maybe it'll lessen a bit depending on how long he's had the orb but it won't drastically alter his personality."

"Okay," Scorpius nodded meekly, feeling guilty that the professor had risked his soul to break him from its influence, "so what are you going to do with it?"

"Keep it out of the way of where no one is likely to find it," Professor Ashain answered as he got up and took out his wand, waving it at a brick in the wall that floated out. He muttered another spell and an orb-sized hold was blasted into the side, he pressed the still-gray orb into the hole and magically replaced the brick in the wall, if Scorpius hadn't just seen it then he'd have no idea it was there, "there. No one's going to be ripping bricks out of this wall anytime soon so its safe from being destroyed or used and no one will touch it so no one is in danger of being influenced by it."

"Smart," Scorpius commented but Professor Ashain only shrugged and rubbed his bandaged hand, "Professor... do you know why the orb didn't change color when it was on your desk? It just stayed gray. Before whenever I didn't touch it, it would keep changing color."

"I was actually going to ask you about that, my grandfather's was always black and the only time I saw it change color was when I touched it once, it turned white and as soon as I put it down it turned black again. It was gray that time after I touched it and even when I stopped touching it after I'd bound it, I never saw it cycle through colors before and I don't know why it was gray."

"I have no idea," Scorpius admitted, he didn't know why it had been cycling although he thought it had something to do with the colors of your soul that it recognized, Professor Ashain didn't seem to know about that part of it though and he was afraid of explaining it in case he was asked who told him and how Calderon knew and everything that veered into things he wasn't supposed to say.

"Ah well, can't know everything, eh? I'm going to go check on Calderon, you can go," Professor Ashain dismissed him as they started heading for the exit, "and... try not to tell anyone. Its safer if only we know."

"Okay," Scorpius agreed and sighed heavily as they left the office and orb behind. He was really starting to wish that he didn't know all these things that he shouldn't or couldn't tell anyone.

* * *

_**Author's Note: **Thanks to Lucifersdaughter for reviewing!_


	54. I: Up In Flames

Scorpius was feeling miserable and anxious as he returned to Gryffindor Tower, Professor Ashain had deemed Calderon alright but his worry returned to his friends. He didn't see them around the common rooms so he trudged back to the dormitory to get to the bathroom to finally wash the blood off his hands, to his surprise and relief he found his friends - minus Michael - were there.

"I'm glad you're all okay," Scorpius said thankfully as he went over to them, Rose's eyes flared with anger as she jumped up to face him and he felt a flash of panic that Varanian had erased their memories again, "you remember me, don't you?"

"Of course," Rose spat furiously, "why? Did you think that you're friend Varanian was going to make us forget everything again?"

"He's not my friend, I _hate_ him!"

"Isn't he?! You warned him about the letter!"

"I... I didn't mean to, its not what you think," Scorpius started defensively and he realized all his friends looked somewhere between angry and disappointed, "I was trying to warn Calderon because he said that Varanian said that if he was caught then he'd take Calderon and other teachers to Azkaban with him, Varanian was with Calderon and just panicked and blurted it out."

"Oh, yes when you put it sounds like that then it sounds so much better!"

"I'm sorry! I was just trying to protect Calderon."

"You're so stupid!" Rose screamed and he almost took a step back from her, "Calderon wouldn't go to Azkaban but of course Varanian would say that he would to try scare him into staying in line!"

"I... never thought of that," Scorpius admitted glumly.

"Of course you didn't! But I could have told you that if you had bothered to tell us! If you had bothered to tell us anything!"

"Why are you mad at me?"

"You sabotaged our one chance to get Varanian!" Albus snapped angrily leaping to his cousin's defense.

"I didn't! Varanian had nothing to do with the letter going missing, the whole day he kept expecting to be arrested."

"Why should we believe you?! You don't tell us anything! You didn't tell us about warning Varanian, you didn't tell us how Calderon got the blood rune arrow on his hand, you didn't tell us what happened on the train, you don't tell us anything! You're supposed to be our friend!"

"You are my friends."

"Well you don't act like it," Abby said coldly.

"Calderon asked me not to say anything about the night he got the rune on his hand okay? That's why I didn't say anything. And I guess I didn't think it mattered about warning Varanian because he didn't try to escape or stop the letter or anything, I'm sorry."

"Of course you're sorry now," Rose growled folding her arms.

"I am! I feel horrible about telling him and what happened afterwards... I wish I hadn't said anything. But even if I hadn't then my father would still have lost the letter, Varanian had nothing to do with it. Maybe I should have told you, I just... it kinda slipped my mind with everything."

"That's the worst excuse ever," Albus complained and despite knowing on some level that he had it coming, Scorpius couldn't help but feel hurt by their reaction.

"It's the truth."

"Tell us what happened," Abby said in a calmer tone, "how Calderon got the rune on his hand, everything you're keeping from us about Varanian and the blood runes. You could at least tell us that if you expect us to forgive you."

"I... I can't, Calderon said-"

"It doesn't matter what he said! It only matters what we're saying now!" Rose yelled at him and Scorpius just stared awkwardly at the ground, feeling torn between betraying Calderon's trust and telling them or losing their friendship by not telling them.

"If you ever expect us to trust you again then you have to start by being honest with us now!" Albus shouted and Scorpius felt his insides twisting up, he wished the ground would swallow him up so he wouldn't have to choose.

"Last time... Last time I didn't do what Calderon said, it nearly cost him his life," Scorpius whispered without looking up from the ground, "please don't make me tell you."

"Don't worry, you don't need to tell us anything ever again because we're done," Rose spat as she stalked angrily past him to the exit, Albus and Abby hesitated before following.

"Wait!" Scorpius protested desperately looking after them, "ok-okay I'll tell you."

"So tell us," Abby prompted and Scorpius' mouth open and closed, he bit his lip anxiously, he really didn't want to break Calderon's trust.

"Eugh," Rose snorted in disgust as she carried on down the steps, "should have known better than to trust a Malfoy."

Scorpius turned away to try hide the hurt he felt, what was even happening? Were they really that mad about him telling Varanian even though it hadn't made any difference? What had Varanian said to them? Or done to them? He looked back just in time to see Albus and Abby walking away. He wondered if he should go after them but his legs were paralyzed, he didn't know what he could say to them to make it right anyway and telling them about the obelisk when they were furious didn't seem like the best time if he was going to say anything.

Feeling even worse than he had than he had earlier, Scorpius threw himself onto his bed and didn't even bother closing the drapes. Were his friends going to be mad at him forever? Were they his friends anymore? Did they hate him? _Maybe they are better off without me_, he thought hopelessly, _maybe everyone is_. After all it was his fault they'd gotten detentions from Varanian in the first place, it was his fault Varanian had almost killed Calderon, it was his fault that Professor Ashain had risked his soul to the stupid orb. Everything was his fault.

Maybe his soul was so tainted that he just hurt everyone around him, maybe deep down he was just evil after all. He didn't want to be evil. He didn't want to hurt anyone. He just wanted to be normal and good and innocent and sane, to not have to worry about everything. He felt like he was going to cry but tears refused to come, was he too evil to shed a single tear?

"What's up?" Michael questioned with oblivious cheerfulness as he went over to sit on his own bed, placing a book on healing magic by his bedside, it happened to be the direction Scorpius was facing, "how'd it go with Varanian? Where are the others?"

Scorpius sighed heavily and squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, it was probably better to just tell Michael because he would hear it from his friends soon enough. He opened his eyes and sat up, starting on an account of Calderon healing them and helping the assistant back to his room. He left out everything that happened with Professor Ashain and the orb, continuing from when he'd returned and found the others furious at him over warning Varanian about the letter, he assumed Varanian had told them that because Calderon couldn't have but had no idea what else had happened after he left. Michael listened patiently and silently - even after Scorpius had finished speaking, his expression seeming neutral.

"Okay," Michael said finally, "you shouldn't have told Varanian about the letter and he was just lying to make Calderon obey him more."

"I know that now," Scorpius mumbled miserably hanging his head.

"But I forgive you," Michael offered and Scorpius looked up in shock, Michael seemed genuine, "I'm sure the others will too, they're just mad at you right now. Varanian probably made it sound like it was worse it was, I'll go to talk to them. Okay?"

"Okay," Scorpius said when his mouth started working again and Michael got up to leave, "thank you. For everything. You're a really great friend, you know that?"

"Its nothing, what are friends for?"

Scorpius was feeling a lot better after talking to Michael, he got out his books to work on his Transfiguration essay. He was one of his favorite subjects and the words flew onto the pages, in the end he wrote three rolls of parchment and realized he was missing dinner by the time he was finished.

_How do you do it?_

"What?" Scorpius questioned and resisted the urge to sigh heavily as he packed everything away, "I was just about to go to dinner."

_I haven't eaten in four days, I'm so hungry_

"Voices in my head don't have stomachs."

_You still don't believe I'm real?_

"You're _not_ real."

_Fine. I can't be bothered to argue with you right now_

"Well good, bye then. I'm missing dinner."

_How did you fight back with magic? Selwyn keeps telling me to use my power like the other boy did but I don't know how_

"I don't know," Scorpius complained as he started heading to dinner regardless, "you just focus your power and make stuff happen. It takes a lot of practice so go do that and leave me alone."

_Okay_

Scorpius blinked in shock, had the voice just agreed to leave him alone? It didn't say anything else and Scorpius was in much better spirits as he reached the Great Hall, Michael alone looked relieved to see him. Abby and Albus just concentrated really hard on their food, Rose was glaring at him again. Scorpius allowed himself to sigh then as he hastily shoved some grub on his plate, glancing around briefly to check on the teachers, a now redheaded Varanian was watching him, Calderon wasn't there so he hoped the assistant was still resting and Professor Ashain's hand was still bandaged.

He went back to his food and ate quickly to make up for being late, it was really quiet around them. None of his friends said anything except Michael whose attempts to get them talking had no success, Scorpius supposed miserably that Michael talking to them hadn't helped. He at least hoped that they wouldn't turn on Michael just for defending him, Michael didn't deserve that. He did find himself wishing that Michael wouldn't defend him, it would make his friend's life a lot easier if he never stood up for him or got in the way of curses that were meant for him.

His friends still seemed mad at him the next day, they didn't talk to him at breakfast either and sat as far away from him in class. Albus called Michael over to sit with him and the mudblood looked extremely torn between who to sit with, Scorpius gestured for him to go with Albus which he reluctantly did. The next lesson Michael sat with him though, alternating between sitting with him and them for the rest of the week.

"I did try talking to them and they're still mad," Michael explained the first lesson they sat together, "but they just need some time, if you don't all come back after the holidays as friends as again then... then I'll cut my hair! Trust me, this will all blow over."

"Did you ever find out what Varanian said to them?" Scorpius wondered, deciding not to voice his doubts.

"No, they wouldn't say. Except about the letter, Varanian told them not to write another one or else and said that you'd told him about the first and implied you'd tell him about a second too."

Scorpius felt angry after hearing that, did Varanian assume just because they'd got along long enough to help Calderon that Scorpius was suddenly on his side? He wanted the headmaster to go to Azkaban, the man had almost tortured him and tried to kill Calderon! He wanted Varanian gone. One good deed didn't erase all the bad ones, Scorpius' feet still bore the scars of his abuse and Michael hadn't been healed either. He _hated_ Varanian.

"Err... Scorpius, your parchment's on fire," Michael pointed out and Scorpius blinked in surprise as he saw that the page had caught light where the tip of his wand touched it. He quickly put it out and hoped his face wasn't as scarlet as it felt.

Apart from the tension with his friends, the final week was actually relatively calm. He had his final Quidditch practice before the holidays on Tuesday, there was little to no homework as the teachers were winding things down before the holidays. He spent his detention on Tuesday helping Calderon with the Christmas decorations, the assistant seemed no worse for wear considering.

A lot of effort went into decorating the school for Christmas, every staircase with a banister had to have everlasting icicles applied to them, every suit of armor was enchanted to sing a different carol, Calderon managed to make dry snow fall from the enchanted ceiling and in the grand staircase too. There was not one but twelve huge trees placed in the Great Hall that he had to help decorate, Calderon made steps of light appear that led up to a platform of light that they could stand on to decorate the trees, this really amazed the other students who passed by as it almost looked like they were walking on air, it amused Calderon for some reason but Scorpius was nervous about accidentally stepping off one.

Not everyone was in good spirits for Christmas though. Varanian seemed to seething with rage and eyed the decorations ever mealtime as if willing them to burst into flames, or just to die, considering the headmaster's dislike of fire. He had to spend an exhausting detention on Wednesday with the Arithimancy professor - Rivers - who did nothing but complain about the holiday, Scorpius had been extra civil to him since he'd realized he was Molly's uncle but he still found it incredibly hard to like the man.

"Its such a stupid holiday if you ask me, I mean why should _I_ have to waste _my_ own money on presents for other people? I'm a pure-blood for crying out loud! My family won't even spend Christmas with me, Aud always insists on spending it with her husband's family. Wouldn't you rather spend time with your brother - your _twin_ brother - rather than crammed around a table with a swarm of redheads and drooling children?" Rivers complained as Scorpius went around dusting his office, "its not like I've found a suitable wife yet and I have no idea if our little brother is even alive, let alone where he is so she's all the family I have."

"Why don't you ask her if you can spend with her and her husband's family then?" Scorpius offered disinterestedly, Rivers expected occasional comments to ensure you were listening and if you weren't then he wouldn't let him go until he was sure that his words had been heard.

"Why would I spend Christmas crammed around a table with a swarm of redheads and drooling children? That's a stupid idea! Five points from... whatever house you're in, I forget the houses. I was home-schooled, how am I supposed to remember the houses?"

"Its Gryffindor," Calderon pointed out tiredly from the spare desk where he was grading the papers for Rivers, "I never went to Hogwarts either, is it really so hard to remember the four house names?"

"Well you've been here longer than me and you have a freakishly good memory... What's your first name again, assistant?"

"Marius."

"Marius, my good friend, how would you like to go to Hogsmeade and buy presents for my family for me? There's just the three, my twin sister and her two daughters. You know Molly and the younger one is ten, should be starting next year. Also a few cards would be nice."

"No," Calderon said, looking surprised by the request.

"Please? You can buy yourself a gift too from me to you. As long as its not expensive, no more than a Galleon - no I'm feeling generous, no more than two Galleons."

"I'm busy."

"What kind of useless assistant won't buy presents for his... erm... hmm... what do you call the person that an assistant's supposed to assist?"

"I don't know."

"Eugh, you're useless," Rivers sighed and leaned back in his chair, resting his head back on his hands, "wait, what was it you said a while ago boy? About spending Christmas with my sister's family?"

"Err... I said maybe you could spend it with her and husband's family?" Scorpius guessed, he didn't think he'd said much else before that.

"Yes! That's a fantastic idea, my gift to them will be my time. Five points for Gryffinclaw!" Rivers announced happily and Calderon actually smacked himself in the face in exasperation, Scorpius resisted the urge to do the same, "if you had a twin or siblings then you would understand."

Calderon seemed to find this hilarious for some reason, he laughed so suddenly that Rivers jumped. Calderon laughed for a lot longer than usual before finally calming down and shaking his head, returning to grading the papers which made Rivers' scowl deepened.

"Why did you laugh?" Rivers asked irritably, "it wasn't a joke."

"Let's say its because I'm mad," Calderon said with a shrug and a roll of his eyes.

"Well I would appreciate it if you could not be insane around me, I don't want to catch madness from you," Rivers complained and Scorpius actually found himself choking on laughter, Calderon rolled his eyes again.

"I'm just about done anyway. Don't keep Scor too long and enjoy your birthday."

"Keeping score of what?" Rivers wondered but Calderon just sighed as he left, Scorpius choked again to repress the laughter, "was he talking about my age?"

"Let's say its because he's mad," Scorpius offered as Rivers ran a paranoid hand through his muddy brown hair.

"I don't look forty, do I? Has my hair suddenly turned gray or white or fallen out? My father as gray as the moon by the time I was born."

"You look fine."

"You think? Ashain is slightly older than me and his hair is great," Rivers pointed out and spend the rest of the detention panicking about looking old and ugly.

The following day wasn't much better, his friends - minus Michael and Molly, or at least he hoped Molly didn't hate him for accidentally getting Rivers to spend Christmas with him but he hadn't had enough homework to warrant staying up late to work on it - were still giving him the cold shoulder and Calderon brought him to his detention with Professor Ashain who didn't seem too pleased to see him.

"I don't have anything for him to do," Professor Ashain complained, "its nearly Christmas, tell Varanian to give him a break already."

"No can do, you have to find him something to do, Ticcy," Calderon told him cheerfully before starting to walk away.

"My name isn't Ticcy, I'm not a clock and if you keep calling me that then I'll... I'll give you a stupid nickname."

"Good luck thinking of a nickname for Marius!" Calderon called back but kept going.

"Dammit, why are nicknames impossible to think of," Professor Ashain muttered after a moment of pause as if considering nicknames, "well come on then, Scor. Although I really don't have anything for you do, I was actually going to go to bed before you showed up."

"It's not late," Scorpius pointed out as he followed the professor into his office, his eyes went instinctively to the brick that held the stupid orb for a moment before back to the professor, he almost asked about it but he didn't want to make it sound like he was under its power.

"I know but I'm tired, I've been up almost all night the past week."

"Why?"

"In case she calls."

Scorpius bit back a comment on how he didn't think it was likely his wife would call in the middle of the night, Professor Ashain probably knew that and was just desperate. Especially coming up to Christmas, where families were supposed to be together, Scorpius knew what it was like to be separated from your family because of muggles. Stupid cruel muggles. They all hated magic, just because they were jealous that they hadn't been born with something special. It was wrong of them.

"I'm sorry," Scorpius offered as the professor gestured for him to sit down.

"It's alright, its my own fault. I had really hoped that seventh year was the last year I'd be stuck in Hogwarts miserable and alone though but life isn't that kind I guess," Professor Ashain sighed as he apparently scanned the room for something for Scorpius to do, "want to just play Wizard chess or something?"

"Okay."

Professor Ashain seemed to cheer up slightly at Scorpius' enthusiasm as he set up the board and they started playing, Scorpius cheered up too. It was relaxing to just focus on the game instead of worrying, they were actually fairly evenly matched as players although Scorpius thought if Professor Ashain wasn't so tired then he'd do better. At one point they had to stop playing because the professor had told the wrong piece to move and the Bishop angrily started to lecture him about it but it shut up when the professor threatened to sacrifice him to Scorpius' Queen if he didn't be silent. It made him smile slightly, he thought it must be weird for muggles to play with inanimate pieces.

He did find himself really relaxing for the first time in days as they played, it took his mind off his worries and the fact his friends hated him and he thought Professor Ashain felt the same. They talked while they played too, about trivial non-stressful things and Scorpius had almost completely forgotten that Professor Ashain had also been a Seeker when he said something about the game, the professor had barely touched on it in the train but they talked more about Quidditch then, Professor Ashain had actually been a good player by all accounts but then he had been flying since he was six apparently. Scorpius was actually incredibly disappointed when Professor Ashain said it was time for dinner, his good mood lasted until his friends continued to ignore him.

"Hey Albus, did you know that your dad and Professor Ashain almost played against each other in a match?" Scorpius pointed out trying to draw his friend into a conversation without Michael's help, "Professor Ashain's last year was your dad's first but your dad didn't play in the match against Ravenclaw. Professor Ashain caught the Snitch and Ravenclaw clobbered Gryffindor, isn't that interesting? I wonder who would've won if your dad had played."

Albus' mouth twitched as if he was about something, for a second Scorpius felt a flurry of hope that Albus would actually say something, probably to announce his dad would have thrashed Professor Ashain if he'd had half a chance but he didn't. He grunted something unintelligible and went back to his food, Scorpius went back to being miserable and picking at his own plate. He finished his food quickly and went to bed.

_"Wake up!" a voice barked and he felt a stinging slap against his cheek, he flicked his eyes open and saw a clean-shaven man in his twenties, his handcuffs were removed and before he could react a wand was aimed at him, "_Crucio!_"_

_Pain immediately shot through every inch of his body, like burning knives had stabbed into last part of him. It was agony. Excruciating agony. He screamed every last breath of air from his body, it was deafening to his own ears but it still didn't feel loud enough._

_"Fight back!" the man snapped moving the wand away and the pain stopped, "the master demands it!"_

What is happening?!

_"Help me please, voice," his lips begged with the stranger's voice in response to his own question. The man laughed._

_"No one's going to help but yourself, use your magic! _Crucio!_"_

FOCUS! He screamed in agony as the pain returned but no sound came from his mouth

_"I can't!" the dream-boy cried._

"Crucio!"

_Scorpius let the magic flood through him, his wrist pulsed in pain, it felt like it was on fire but it was nothing compared to the pain from the curse. He unleashed the magic and felt fire shooting out of his left hand, throwing the man backwards and setting him alight. His own pain stopped - except for his wrist - but the man's started as he writhed on the ground, screaming at the burning fire that was eating away at him. He heard another voice and a burst of magic touched the flames, extinguishing them and-_

"SCORPIUS!"

Scorpius' eyes jarred open. His wrist was still burning - no, it was literally burning he saw, a circle of fire was burning around his scar and there was fire, his drapes were on fire. In a panic he scrabbled for his wand but Albus was always putting it out with a spell from his own wand, Scorpius glanced at his wrist and saw it was no longer burning or in pain. His heart threatened to burst out of his chest, it was beating so fiercely.

"What the hell just happened?" Scorpius asked of no one in particular, all the Gryffindor boys were wide awake, he could see them through the ruined drapes.

"I think you just tried to burn yourself to death," Reuben pointed out, blinking in confusion.

"Could you kill yourself when we're not here, you psychotic freak?!" Angelo yelled angrily.

"Hey," Albus snapped defensively before seeming to realize he'd just defended Scorpius, "I mean err... there's no reason we can't be civil."

"Are you alright?" Michael offered gently, he was by Scorpius' side with a worried expression. Scorpius tried to nod but he was suddenly so tired that his nod brought his head to the pillow.

"Yeah, just need to sleep," Scorpius tried to say but he already gone.

_"What in the hell just happened?! He's not supposed to actually be able to injure us!" a rough voice that he was sure he'd heard before was saying, he thought it sounded Selwyn but he wasn't sure and his eyes were closed, "my best person could've died! Have the amulets stopped working?!"_

_"The amulets work fine, Selwyn," a second voice growled that sounded like the man with the deformed hands, it sounded different though somehow, "they can only defend against one person's magic at a time though."_

_"It was one freakin' ten year old!" Selwyn yelled before seeming to calm himself, "with all due respect, Master. I don't understand."_

_"The boys are linked through the magic I used on their wrists, an unforeseen side effect. The first channeled his power through the second, similar to how I'm speaking to you right now, the amulets aren't designed to protect against that," the second voice explained and he wanted to hear more but it was so hard to stay awake, "the connection will need to be severed, find a way to do it with murder as a last resort and..."_

The next time Scorpius opened his eyes he was in the dormitory again and sunlight was streaming through the windows, Michael and Albus were sitting either side of him. Reuben and Angelo were gone. He still felt immensely tired but he wouldn't fall asleep in a second.

"What happened?" Scorpius asked glancing between them, Albus had changed into his clothes while Michael remained in his Pokemon pajamas.

"You set fire to the drapes in your sleep, then fell asleep again and didn't wake up until just now which is breakfast time," Michael explained still looking anxious and also tired, "are you alright?"

"Yeah, I guess I just used magic by accident in my sleep," Scorpius said and furiously dismissed his dream as a dream, he _knew_ it couldn't be real, "it tired me out I think so I slept. Now I'm fine."

"Fine," Albus grunted and stalked off.

"He still hates me then."

"He doesn't hate you, he insisted on staying up all night with me to make sure you didn't accidentally burn yourself to death," Michael offered, much to Scorpius' surprise, "I told you they just need time."

* * *

_**Thanks to: **Lucifersdaughter, Winged-panther1 and Diddleymaz for reviewing!**  
**_


	55. I: Corin and Maurice

Michael asked a few more questions about whether anything like that had ever happened to him before but it hadn't and he didn't really know what to say, his friend was forced to let it drop and Scorpius went to get changed in the bathroom because his drapes were still destroyed. He would have to tell Calderon about that to get them replaced. He also took the opportunity to inspect the scars on his wrist, they looked darker and more livid at the same time, the bruising - well Scorpius knew it wasn't bruising because bruises would have healed by now - was worse than ever but oddly enough there were no burns.

He angrily tugged his sleeve over it, refusing to think about it. He struggled to not to for the rest of the day, he was shaken, the pain had felt so real and the fire very definitely had been real. He was tired though, he just wanted to go back to bed and sleep not concentrate on lessons that weren't even interesting because there was no point starting anything with the holidays about to happen and really he thought that most of the teachers just wanted the holidays to start as well.

He was relieved when the last lesson finished and he met Calderon for his last detention before the holidays, or at least he thought so anyway, the train was leaving at eleven o'clock tomorrow so he didn't think there would be time for another detention. Calderon led him outside, wearing a gray muggle jacket and he started to assume in the direction of Professor Hagrid's hut, he decided to take the opportunity to tell the assistant about setting fire to the drapes in his sleep and needing new ones.

"Is it common for people to do magic in their sleep?" Scorpius wondered as Calderon looked at him slightly concerned.

"I don't know, I don't think so," Calderon offered and Scorpius sighed worriedly, "but you're not the only one. Were you having a nightmare?"

"Err... maybe... why?"

"Because... do you know why my room has no windows?"

"Cause yer kept blowin' them up every time yer had a bad dream," Professor Hagrid answered before Scorpius could say that he hadn't a clue and Calderon inclined his head in agreement. Scorpius felt a flood of relief wash through him, if Calderon had used magic in his sleep too then he wasn't alone and it probably had nothing to do with the dream except for the fact that he'd been worked up by the nightmare, "yer haven't started doin' tha' again have yer?"

"No, Scor set fire to the drapes in his sleep."

"Ah right. Well I'm sure its nothin' to worry abou' Scorpius."

"Thanks," Scorpius offered gratefully.

He was about to ask what he was doing before he noticed something in the sky, at first glance he thought it was a plane and mentally slapped himself for thinking muggle. At second glance he thought it was a dragon and mentally slapped himself for thinking something so stupid just because he was around two people who loved dragons. At third glance it was close enough to see that it was an ostentatious pastel blue carriage pulled by two beautiful white winged-horses, Professor Hagrid beamed when he saw it and distantly Scorpius recalled that this was the day that the professor's son would be arriving from France. Was he coming by flying horse carriage?

Scorpius supposed he would find out soon enough as the carriage managed to land smoothly on the grounds nearby, the magnificent horses folded their wings back and trotted the rest of the distance to them, they were a lot bigger than normal horses. Calderon went over to the side to open the door, Scorpius had to tear his eyes from the impressive horses to see the man exiting the carriage.

It took Scorpius a moment to realize that it wasn't a man, just a tall child. The top of his head was on a level with Calderon's chin but he had a boyish child's face, his hair was dark brown but tamed and his huge black eyes glittered in the winter dusk. He was lean and dressed in blue satin robes without a hint of dirt or crinkle, he had an air of elegance about him and an almost disdainful look despite his youthful looks.

"Corin!" Professor Hagrid greeted the boy warmly and the boy - presumably Corin - rolled his eyes as his father pulled him into a hug, "look a' how big yer gettin' now! I missed yer."

"Yes, father, I know," Corin said somewhat moodily as Professor Hagrid pulled away, his voice carried a hint of a French accent but the words were cold, "its good to see you."

Professor Hagrid beamed at this, even though Corin didn't look particularly pleased. Another boy had gotten out of the carriage as they were having their exchange, he looked about ten and seemed extremely short in comparison to the people around him. This didn't seem to faze the boy though, his expression was perfectly neutral as his sea-green eyes took in all of them, eyes that seemed sharp and focused despite the fatigue ringing them. He had light brown hair with a slight wave to it and had his hair in a similar style to Corin, he wore a brown cloak as well as fingerless leather gloves that also covered every part of his wrist that Scorpius could see. He also had a strange necklace with a black tear-drop shaped gem set in a golden circle.

"Maurice," Corin addressed the boy, turning to face him completely and made a few gestures with his hand to which the boy - presumably named Maurice - placed a hand on the necklace, it immediately glowed a pale blue, "this is my father, Professor Rubeus Hagrid and the assistant I told you about, Marius Calderon. I don't know who the boy is. Everyone, this is my close friend, Maurice Rivers."

"He's called Scorpius Malfoy," Professor Hagrid introduced him and Scorpius wondered if he was any relation to Molly and the Arithimancy professor, "he's Calderon's assistant."

"I didn't realize that Hogwarts was in the habit of hiring first years."

"It's fer detentions bu' he's alright," Professor Hagrid said brightly and clapped him on the back, Scorpius felt a strange surge of pride at that even though Corin remained unimpressed and Maurice remained silent, his eyes darting around whoever was speaking, "nice t' meet yer, Maurice, welcome to Hogwarts. He does speak English, righ'?"

"Of course, he can read five languages. English, French, Greek, Latin and Runic. His father is also English," Corin answered and a slightly anxious look crossed his face for a second, "but Maurice is deaf, that necklace translates what we're seeing into words around us that he can read. He just has to be looking at you and using the necklace at the time so be aware of that."

"It's a pleasure to meet the father of my closest friend, Professor Hagrid," Maurice spoke up in surprisingly perfect English as he gave a slight bow, straightening back up and putting his hand back on the necklace that glowed blue again the moment he touched it, "thank you for having me for the Christmas Holidays."

"O' course," Professor Hagrid offered awkwardly but gave the boy a warm smile nonetheless, "are yer sure yer family don't mind not havin' yer fer Christmas?"

"Father believes education is the most important thing," Maurice answered somewhat stiffly after a moment's pause, "he would have just had me stay in Beauxbatons over the holidays to carry on with my studies anyway. I shall be attending Hogwarts next year though so he thought it was acceptable for me to visit the school now to prepare."

"Oh. Well... righ'... well let's get yer inside 'cause its freezin' ou' here," Professor Hagrid said, not seeming sure of what to say to that, "this is where yer'll be sleepin', now it'll be a bit cramped bu-"

"Father!" Corin burst out, "you can't be serious?! There's barely enough room for just the two of us with the two dogs there as well, let alone all three of us, we may as well just stay in Marius' broom closet!"

"It's not a broom closest, its my room," Calderon protested and Scorpius realized he'd been taking out the boys' things while they'd been talking, it hovered around him in readiness but Corin just ignored him.

"It's not acceptable father! We should just go back to Beauxbatons."

"Err... well... err..." Professor Hagrid stammered looking extremely hurt and unsure of what to do.

"How about we make one of the unused classrooms up into a bedroom?" Calderon offered with an incredibly neutral expression, Corin's anger seemed to fade and Professor Hagrid looked relieved, "plenty of space for both of you and you still get to spend the holidays with your dad, which is of course _why you're here_ after all."

"Oui, that's acceptable," Corin commented calming down.

Scorpius wasn't sure what he'd been expecting but he couldn't help but take a dislike to Professor Hagrid's son, he liked the professor but his son didn't seem to take after him much. He wasn't sure what to make of Maurice, the deaf boy's eyes were just darting around them to take in the conversation but his expression remained perfectly neutral and he said nothing.

It took a few moments of discussion to decide what to do, Scorpius could tell that Professor Hagrid was dying to spend some time with his son but Corin wanted to get their rooms set up, _now_. The professor seemed afraid of going against his sons wishes in case Corin decided to leave so that was where they went, Professor Hagrid being forced to stay behind and see to the horses while the rest of them went to set up the room. Calderon didn't look very approving of this, red lights danced around him but he went along with it anyway. He walked beside Calderon while the two boys from France walked behind, making strange gestures with their hands to each other for some reason, Scorpius wondered it was some complicated French way of giving them the finger.

When they got to the empty classroom they started changing it up, Calderon had him moving the majority of the spare chairs and desks to the walls while he turned the others into beds. Scorpius was surprised when both Maurice and Corin whipped out wands to start moving the desks to the side with him, surprised that ten year olds could use magic like that as well the fact that they _did_ help because he'd gotten the impression that they were the kind of stuck up children who expected things to be done for them and to always get their way.

"Surprised?" Corin wondered with a smug smirk when he noticed the look on Scorpius' face, "in Beauxbatons we start learning magic at eight, its much more effective I think."

Corin went on to brag about how amazing Beauxbatons was and how amazing his mother was as headmistress while they fixed up the room, Scorpius resisted the urge to say that it wouldn't take much to be better than Varanian and to ask why Maurice was coming to Hogwarts if Beauxbatons was so great. Calderon conjured spare bedding for them to make up the beds while the visitors looked out of the windows to see the view they would have, gesturing to each other with their hands again. He was really getting tempted to ask them about what it meant as Calderon started transfiguring the desks and chairs at the wall into drawers for the boys things, Corin and Maurice were packing their things away when Professor Hagrid returned.

"Lookin' good," Professor Hagrid offered brightly and Corin seemed to resist the desire to roll his eyes, "wan' t' come back t' me hut fer some food? Yer probably starved after such a long trip."

"Its not that far, look at a map sometime. England and France aren't too far apart," Corin muttered but the professor was still by the door and not close enough to hear it, Calderon heard though and shot the boy a warning look, Corin cleared his throat and spoke up, "actually father, we were going to give Maurice a tour of the castle and we wanted to dine in the Great Hall with Scor as we're getting along so well."

"What?!" Scorpius exclaimed, it was the first he'd heard of it and Corin gave him a pleading look before looking back to his father.

"Please father, I know it may be too much to ask to free him for his detention but it would really mean a lot to me. I don't make friends easy and _if_ I am to come to Hogwarts next year then it would be good to have an older friend who I could turn to."

"If yer come t' Hogwarts?" Professor Hagrid repeated.

"Oui, I have been thinking about it a lot lately. I think it would be good to come here, I really don't get to see enough of you back home and Hogwarts is one of the best schools of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the world."

Professor Hagrid looked stunned for a moment before his face was split by a smile as he marched over and embraced his son, picking him up off the ground he hugged him so tightly and ruffling his hair when he put him back down, blurting out how happy he was to hear that. There was a spark of irritation in his eyes but a fake smile clung to his face as he straightened out his clothes and hair, Scorpius exchanged a look with Calderon who seemed to see through Corin's manipulation as well. Maurice's expression remained completely neutral.

"So is it alright, father? Its only for a day, we still have the whole holiday," Corin wondered and Professor Hagrid turned to Calderon as he spoke.

"Would tha' be alrigh' with you?"

"Its up to Scor," Calderon said calmly and all eyes in the room were suddenly on him.

Scorpius thought about it very hard for a moment, he'd about to say no on instinct because he didn't like Corin and they hadn't been getting along but he hesitated. Professor Hagrid looked so happy, Corin looked so desperate but his eyes found Maurice. The deaf boy was apparently capable of reading runic, the language of the blood rune book. If he went along with their lie then he could ask for a translation in return, logically it was fair even if it felt slightly shady but it was the perfect opportunity to understand it and the boys couldn't say anything about it. He just hoped that Corin hadn't been exaggerating his friend's ability.

"Yes," Scorpius said finally, "I'd like to do it."

"Fine," Calderon sighed and Corin beamed as he started to head to the exit, Calderon grabbed his arm and whispered something to him. Corin looked sulky but nodded and Calderon let him go, he said goodbye to his father before leaving with Scorpius and Maurice.

"Thank you," Corin offered gratefully when they were a few corridors away, "the last thing I want is to be cooped up in that hut getting slobbered on by the dogs and listening to my boring father, you understand?"

"Your father is a great man," Scorpius snapped defensively, "he's not boring and you should be nicer to him, you certainly shouldn't manipulate him like that."

"Eugh you sound like Marius. And its not really manipulating him, you make it sound like I just convinced him to jump off a cliff or something! I do want to come to Hogwarts, it just has nothing to do with him and I really will see him all break."

"You just want to come to stay with your friend?"

"Exactly!"

"Wait," Maurice spoke up and looked between them with his hand on his necklace again, stopping and they stopped with him, "why did go along with Corin's plan then?"

"I wanted a favor," Scorpius said and both boys immediately looked interested, "can you really read runes?"

"Of course, my father sent me to a special magical boarding school when I was two. They don't give you wands until you're seven but they teach you the languages, magical theory, magical history and things like that. Before I left to go to Beauxbatons. Want something translated, do you?"

"Look whose being manipulative now," Corin stated with a smirk and a raised eyebrow, "you know, maybe you're not so bad after all."

"Maybe I'm not so bad?" Scorpius wondered with a raised eyebrow.

"You are a Malfoy and you did get saddled with enough detentions to make you Marius' assistant. What did you do anyway?"

"I'll tell you when I get the book."

Corin seemed positively bounding with excitement at what secret rune book needed to be translated, Maurice was much more contained but his neutral expression was slightly less neutral than it had been before. They did tour the castle first to give Maurice a lay of the land, Corin had been to Hogwarts so he already knew his way around, before they stopped at the entrance to Gryffindor Tower so he could quickly retrieve the book and return to the boys, handing it to Maurice who flicked through it for a moment.

Corin suggesting that they return to the room they'd been staying in until dinner which they did, they didn't actually talk much as they walked because - as Corin pointed out - it was harder for Maurice to read moving words and it picked up on other people's conversations as they passed, it wasn't exactly a perfect substitute for hearing. That and it required Maurice's energy, magic and concentration to work. Corin also told him that the hand gestures was called 'sign language' which was talking with your hands, a muggle invention that Maurice's parents had used before he'd gotten the necklace and learned to speak properly, Corin had taken the time to learn it because it was less taxing for Maurice. Scorpius thought it was a nice thing to do for a friend, Corin couldn't be all bad despite the way he acted around his father.

Calderon had been good enough to make the remaining desks and chairs into incredibly comfortable couches and armchairs, they settled themselves around comfortably. Maurice had been flicking through the book the whole time they'd been walking and put his hand on the amulet as soon as they were seated.

"So blood runes," Maurice started and Scorpius started to regret his decision in his desperation to understand, the two ten year olds would be privy to all the information too but at least he knew that Maurice had to be able to understand runes to some degree to realize it was about that, "any particular reason you're interested?"

"Can't you just translate it without asking questions? Or telling anyone," Scorpius complained and Maurice raised an eyebrow.

"Of course but I am curious."

"Well then just be curious."

"Don't they teach you to study runes at this school?"

Scorpius started to explain about it being an elective subject for third years and up, the boys interest was immediately piqued as they questioned him about the subjects and life at Hogwarts. He told them about his lessons and what he knew about the elective subjects, OWLs, NEWTs and the teachers who taught them which fascinated them as they compared how things were different in France in England, Maurice and Corin telling him about their own lessons in Beauxbatons, teachers and the way it worked in France. It was actually a lot more interesting when Corin was speaking objectively rather than bragging, when he did exaggerate Maurice was quick to call him on it now that he was paying attention to the conversation. Scorpius was really surprised, Corin was a lot nicer than he had been earlier and Maurice was alright.

"Hey, you gonna come eat or what?" Calderon called with a whistle from the door. Scorpius was reminded of Maurice's deafness by his complete lack of reaction, he only stopped talking when Corin made some hand gestures.

"Yeah, we're coming now," Corin called and the trio headed to dinner with Calderon.

Scorpius was reminded of Corin's weird aversion to his dad when Professor Hagrid waved frantically from the teacher's table, Corin visibly cringed and his return smile was forced. He led them to the Gryffindor table where Michael waved them over, Rose was still glaring, Abby and Albus were still giving him the cold shoulder although they looked at the newcomers with interest.

"I am Corin Jean-Beau Killian Gaspard Harry Romeo Maxime-Hagrid," Corin introduced himself grandly as he sat down, "this is my close friend Maurice Rivers and my new friend Scorpius Malfoy. And you people are?"

Scorpius sat down as his friends - or former friends, as Rose was quick to point out - and Corin's look of disdain returned, Michael disagreed with her though. Rose, Abby and Albus made an effort to be nice but Corin but he didn't seem interested in them, gazing at the teacher's table instead.

"Why isn't Marius sitting down?" Corin questioned scowling, "he's just standing beside Varanian and not getting to eat."

"He always does," Scorpius pointed out with a shrug.

"Well that's kind of mean, isn't it?"

"I know right?"

"Whose the new man being bored by Rivers?"

"That's Professor Ashain, the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher I told you about."

"Ah right," Corin nodded and turned back to the table, it made Scorpius think of something and he turned to Maurice who had one hand on the necklace and the other holding a fork.

"Are you any relation to Rivers? Aubrey is his first name and he has a twin sister named Audrey."

"I don't know," Maurice answered with a shrug, "my father doesn't like talking about his family. In his words, 'my siblings are deadbeats and my parents are just dead. Do not ask me about it again.'"

"What's your father's name?"

"Roman Rivers," Corin said stiffly and stabbed his chicken with enough force to crack the plate, "Maman de Merlin! Stupid breakable plates."

"Not a fan?" Michael wondered with a raised eyebrow as Maurice got out his wand, muttering a spell that fixed the plate, Rose's eyes boggled. When Corin looked back up his eyes glittering darkly.

"No."

"My father's alright," Maurice complained, "I don't hate your dad."

"I don't_ hate_ your dad either. I just think he's evil. And blood quills should be banned and burned in hell for all eternity."

"There's nothing wrong with blood quills or my father."

"_Everything_ is wrong with blood quills! And he threatens to disown you if you fail every time there's a test coming up."

"Blood quills are barbaric!" Rose protested in agreement and Maurice looked at her darkly.

"Its motivation, Corin, I've told you. I'm deaf so he has to be harder on me or I'll fail my father, my family and myself," Maurice said with a note of finality in his voice as he turned to Scorpius, "you never told us why you got those detentions."

It was a very obvious attempt to change the subject but Scorpius obliged, he didn't like being in the middle of people arguing and the mention of blood quills got him wondering why Maurice continued to wear the fingerless gloves. Corin and Maurice looked oddly impressed as he told them about what had happened with his class, Corin grinned.

"That's awesome. Apart from the injuring people, of course. But you are seriously powerful!" Corin burst out excitedly, "I wish I could do that. Apart from the injuring people, of course. But its still cool!"

"Can I see your wand?" Maurice asked politely and Scorpius reluctantly handed it to him, "what make is it?"

"Redwood, thirteen inches with Thestral tail hair," Scorpius told him and for some reason both Albus and Rose looked stunned.

"Interesting. You know Thestrals can only be seen by people who've seen death so these wands can only be used by people who've seen death? Tell me, have you seen death?" Maurice questioned with the first smile that Scorpius had seen on him, it was a cold smile. Scorpius said nothing, "I'll take that as a yes. Do you know what happens if someone tries to use a Thestral tail hair wand if they haven't? They die."

"Professor Ashain used my wand before just fine."

"And has he ever seen someone die?"

"Well yes."

"Exactly."

"That's ridiculous and wrong," Rose complained irritably folding her arms crossly.

"Is that so?"

"Yes!"

"Have you seen death?"

"No!"

"Alright then," Maurice said and his smile widened as he offered the wand to Rose, "prove it then. Use the wand. Say a spell."

"Fine," Rose snapped as she snatched Scorpius' wand, he wondered if he should do something as she held it in her grip but no words crossed her lips. Maurice took out his own wand and aimed it at her goblet.

"_Glacio_," Maurice muttered and the water in her goblet to ice immediately, he pocketed his wand once more, "does the know-it-all not know any spells?_ Solvo_ will fix that, its a really simple spell. I'm curious as to whether it will work before or after you die, or just not at all."

Rose bit her lip and the wand trembled in her hand, the others were all looking with the same unsure expression that Scorpius was sure he had on his face. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, trying to work out whether she was willing to risk her life over something she had seemed so sure about it. Sweat glistened on her forehead and finally she lowered the wand, Maurice snatched it from her in an instant and didn't hesitate as he aimed it at the goblet.

"_Solvo_."

They all jumped in surprise but Maurice continued breathing, they glanced back to goblet and watched a word appearing in the ice: COWARD. The ice hissed and melted back into the goblet, Rose tore her eyes from it to look back at Maurice whose expression had gone back to being neutral. She hastily left the table, leaving before desert and with some food left on her plate, Albus and Abby both rose but only Abby went after her. Maurice tossed Scorpius' wand back to him, Scorpius caught it easily and thumbed the handle gently. Wondering whether Maurice had seen death, had been lying or just had been brave enough to test the theory. Corin promptly asked him excitedly but the deaf boy just winked and gestured something with his hands, Corin grinned.

"We should go back to our room," Maurice said as the deserts appeared on the table, "deserts are for people who don't care about their health."

"Oui. Are you coming, Scor?" Corin wondered and Scorpius shook his head, "see you tomorrow then. Bonne nuit."

Scorpius said his goodbyes and the two younger boys left, signing to each other cheerfully as they walked. He couldn't help but feel awkwardly envious, they had had a disagreement but left seeming to have forgiven each other. He wished his friends were forgiving like that. He didn't feel much like eating desert though, Albus didn't seem to either and Michael was eating his ice cream very slowly. He decided he would go to bed after all, he hesitated slightly as he got up to leave.

"Oh and thanks by the way, you know for looking out for me last night, Albus. You didn't have to do that," Scorpius told him, "and I really am sorry."

"S'okay," Albus muttered as he also got up, "think I'll head to bed too."

"Ang m!" Michael said intelligibly through a mouthful of ice cream, scoffing down what was left and wincing as he jumped up to follow them, "ik cweam hegake."

"No idea what you're saying."

"Ice cream headache," Michael corrected as he finished the food and they headed back to the dormitory, Scorpius saw that his drapes had been replaced from earlier when he'd gotten the blood rune book. Michael headed to the bathroom, leaving Albus and Scorpius alone with each other. Albus sighed heavily.

"Varanian offered us a choice," Albus told him quietly, "he said he would erase our memories of the detentions if we wanted or we could just keep our mouths shut. Nott chose to lose his memory, Varanian used a spell on him and it worked completely, gave him ten points for Slytherin too. We refused because you know we were planning on telling him, he pointed out that Michael was staying over the holidays. He said that you'd warned him about the letter before that if we tried that again or told on him then he'd kill Michael, he has special wards in place so that he knows if someone enters or leaves the school grounds so he'd know if anyone was coming from him and that he'd have time to kill Michael before he was arrested. He said that you'd probably told us what he'd almost done so we should know he was capable of murder. Don't tell Michael, I don't want him to feel bad that we're not talking just to protect him."

* * *

_**Author's Note:** Okay super long chapter this but need to introduce them and the holidays to begin already, hope you don't mind. As to whether its near the finale yet, it depends on how you look at it as the finale doesn't take place until the start of June but the second half of the year will go a lot faster after Christmas and I've decided to cut out a major event about the Specter origins and backstories so I promise I am going as fast as I can_

_** To Winged-panther1: **no, Rose isn't the brightest in her year, she is smart but in every class there's at least one person better than her and she's supposed to immature at the moment**  
**_

_**Thanks to: **Winged-panther1, trixsyme321, Diddleymaz and Lucifersdaughter for reviewing!**  
**_


	56. I: Let The Holidays Begin

Scorpius wanted to ask more but Michael returned and they went to bed, after a short debate on whether they should take it in turns to stay up to make sure Scorpius didn't burn himself alive in which Scorpius won the argument that he would be fine and if it happened again then they'd deal with it then. He was so tired that he was asleep when his head hit the pillow and next time he opened his eyes it was morning.

Angelo and Reuben were extra cheerful to be going home for Christmas, Albus and Scorpius were extra depressed and Michael seemed to be trying to be cheerful but his smiles never touched his hazel eyes. Michael was the only one who made any attempt at conversation at breakfast, the others seemed withdrawn more so than angry but it was still silent and Scorpius actually started to feel a bit guilty that Michael was trying so hard when they weren't. He still didn't feel like talking. Corin and Maurice came in and joined them after awhile, Rose stiffened as Corin started talking to Scorpius about Christmas in Beauxbatons and Hogwarts as he'd experienced both, Beauxbatons apparently was much better than Hogwarts but Scorpius wondered if that was just because Corin had a weird dislike of his father. He said goodbye to the two ten year olds as they returned to their dormitory to pack, time slipped through his fingers and all too soon they were heading down to the carriages to go back to the Hogwarts Express.

While his friends were taking turns hugging Michael goodbye, Scorpius felt someone tap his shoulder and was infuriated to realize it was Varanian. The headmaster motioned for him to follow and brought him to an empty classroom, Scorpius reluctantly went with him.

"I just wanted to make sure we had an understanding," Varanian said, sporting short hair that was darker than the night, "that you won't say anything about the things I've done that could be construed as illegal to get me in trouble."

"Or you'll kill Michael?" Scorpius guessed bitterly and Varanian smiled a cruel smile.

"Marius too, just for you. If I'm going to jail then he's useless to me and he wouldn't harm me even to save his own pathetic excuse for a life, one less Death Eater's child in a world that doesn't care. You understand?"

"I won't say a word," Scorpius promised as he glared at the headmaster, mutual loathing he saw reflected in Varanian's silvery eyes.

"Good."

On that note they returned to the carriages, Varanian keeping strangely close to him which he was sure would have earned him a glare from Rose if his friends hadn't already left. Except Michael, he was just standing around with a wistful look on his face. Scorpius wished that Michael was coming too, he deserved to be with his family at Christmas and to be safe from Varanian's death threats. There was only one carriage left and it was full of older girls, Calderon was helping a particularly plump girl in.

Scorpius' attention was caught by the things pulling the carriage though, he hadn't really seen them with all the others and the crowd but now it was gone he saw them. He thought he heard someone say his name but he was so drawn to them that he didn't care, they had a horse-like body but were skeletal, he could see their ribs clearly from beneath their lustrous thin skin. They had huge leathery wings folded back and reptilian faces, he was reminded of the faces of dragons he'd seen in pictures, the nearest turned and looked at him with its dull eyes that lacked pupils. Scorpius smiled at the creature and reached out his hand, the creature nuzzled his hand and he petted it gently, it had incredible smooth skin.

"Come on," Calderon said and pulled his hand away, scratching the creature's ears affectionately for a moment before leading him away, "we have to leave now."

"What are they?" Scorpius wondered in amazement.

"They're Thestrals, you can only see them if you've seen someone die," Varanian answered before Calderon could open his mouth, Scorpius glanced at the headmaster just in time to see the Thestral snap at the headmaster who leaped back and scowled at the creature as it tried to move between them and Varanian, almost protectively but couldn't for being tied to the carriage, "Marius, aren't they supposed to be tame?"

"I don't think he likes you," Calderon pointed out and Scorpius recalled his wand core had came from a Thestral.

"Well I don't like him either."

"Glad we've got that settled. Shall we go now?"

Scorpius opened his mouth to say that he was going to wanted to say goodbye to Micheal but Calderon was already pushing him into the carriage where there was very little room, Varanian stood well back of the Thestrals with Michael while Calderon climbed up onto the front of the carriage. The assistant laughed his high-pitched laughter and commanded the Thestrals to go, they immediately started walking and he waved back at Michael who waved until he was out of sight. Varanian stood by his side and Scorpius was left with an ominous feeling as they continued on their way, he would have preferred to sit up with Calderon but at least he had a view of the Thestrals for the journey. The girls seemed to ignore him and started chatting about boys they liked, he rolled his eyes in disgust, he would never have a crush on anyone like that and just focused on watching the Thestrals.

* * *

Michael watched his final friend be pulled away by the Thestrals and sighed heavily as it left his line of his sight, he let his smile fall and started at the frozen ground, suddenly feeling very alone. It was going to be a long, lonely holiday without his family, without even his friends. He hoped they'd at least have a good Christmas, he knew he wouldn't. There wasn't many people staying over the holidays, Scorpius had said most of those staying were older students anyway who he didn't really know or have anything in common with. He wasn't close to the teachers like Scorpius either, some of them were going too, he knew Abby's dad was.

He supposed he shouldn't complain though, at least it wasn't Christmas in the cancer ward again. Maybe he could even catch up on the work he'd missed while he'd been sick, there was plenty of time to study and practice the practical spells. He could try make the best of it, that's all you could do.

It took him a moment to realize that he actually wasn't alone. He expected Varanian's footsteps to announce the headmaster's leave, in fact he'd been waiting for it so he could walk in the opposite direction that Varanian took. Varanian didn't leave though and Michael felt his heart sink even further back into his chest. _Please let me be wrong_, he begged of his mind.

"Come with me," Varanian said quietly.

Michael followed as the headmaster led him away, really he already where they were going but a tiny fragment of hope in his mind refused to give up yet. His feet remembered the way, he didn't want to go on but he didn't want to go back to being a muggle even less. They stopped beside the blood rune wards, Varanian leaned coolly back against a tree and motioned for him to go to them. Hope dashed.

"You're going to spend your holiday finishing these," Varanian explained, "you'll start at first light and carry on until dinner, you can go to bed after dinner. You break for breakfast and lunch as to not arouse suspicion, you may also relieve yourself during that time. Do you understand?"

"That's worse than last time," Michael pointed out hopelessly but there wasn't a single shard of sympathy in the headmaster's icy eyes.

"That's because Marius isn't going to find out this time. This school will be protected and this is the way to do it, you should have the wards finished over the break if you work like I want. The sacrifice will be worth it in the end. If you don't like it then you're more than welcome to be expelled, go back to your mundane muggle life and your friends can finish wards when they get back."

"No! Leave my friends alone," Michael snapped as he went over to the first ward, kneeling in the dirt before it. He thought he saw Varanian smile as he put his hand on the cold surface, bracing himself against the pain he knew was coming he closed his eyes, "_I Ecifircas_."

* * *

The journey wasn't actually as bad as Scorpius had thought, he was apprehensive about being on the train after what had happened last time but Calderon announced he was coming too, just in case anything did happen. He just got in a compartment with the assistant, knowing his friends probably wouldn't want to sit with him anyway and Molly had her own age friends that she was probably with. He talked with Calderon and they played Wizard chess to pass the time, Calderon played some magic music for which Scorpius was grateful for. He'd gotten accustomed to Calderon's random music and lights, he thought it'd be quiet and dark without the assistant. There was no attacks or destroyed tracks and Scorpius was almost disappointed when they stopped at Platform nine and three quarters.

"Have a good Christmas, Scor," Calderon offered with a smile, gesturing and the doors opened but the assistant made no move for the door like Scorpius did, he realized that Calderon wasn't coming onto the platform.

"You too. As long as Varanian isn't mean to you," Scorpius said as a throng of students swamped the corridor outside the compartment, he decided to wait until they'd passed.

"He's not mean to me and he doesn't even leave his office on Christmas anyway, its the anniversary of his family's death. I think he just lies in bed and cries."

"Oh yeah, I was meaning to ask you," Scorpius spoke up, to prolong the conversation as much as anything, "Varanian said he'd known you twenty years this Christmas, but surely that can't be right. He meant ten years, didn't he?"

"No. Twenty years is right," Calderon answered and quickly lost his smile, Scorpius scowled.

"So you met him when you were fifteen?"

"Yep."

"But isn't that the day his family were killed?"

"Yep."

"You met him the day his family died?"

"Yep."

"But..." Scorpius started to say but stopped as a realization dawned on him, "you're the one who saved his life after the Death Eaters tried to turn him alive."

"Yep."

"But-"

"Scor, now really isn't the time to talk about it," Calderon interrupted seriously and Scorpius closed his mouth despite his desperation to know more.

"Hey!" a voice greeted him cheerfully and Scorpius felt himself pulled out into the corridor by Molly, he couldn't help but smile as he saw her, "didn't think you could leave without saying goodbye, did you?"

"Err..." Scorpius began, really not sure what to say to that but Molly didn't seem to mind.

"I got you a present," Molly said as she shoved her hands into her pockets and pulled out a square package wrapped in brown paper, she offered it to him and he cautiously took it, "its not much, I ran out of money... again. But its something, I thought you'd like it."

"Thank you... I... I didn't expect anything."

"I get all my friends something, I'm sure I told you that," Molly pointed out and smiled again, pulling him into a hug before he could react. He felt a strange surge of happiness as well as feeling like someone had released a swarm of butterflies into his stomach... her hair smelt of cherries. He hoped he wasn't blushing but he had a feeling he was from the way he caught Calderon raising an eyebrow, he thought he might be. Molly pulled away and gave no reaction to his possible blush, "I'm sorry, I can see my parents waving at me from the platform so I have to go but I hope you'll have a good Christmas."

"You too," Scorpius managed to say without butterflies flying out of his mouth and Molly smiled warmly as she left by him, he knew he was smiling too as he glanced back to Calderon, whatever they had been talking about was gone from his memories, "bye Calderon. I'll see you."

Calderon waved a goodbye as Scorpius left, vaguely hearing the door close behind him as he joined the crowd in exiting the train and quickly found his parents. They beamed when they saw him and he almost ran to them, he was still smiling as his mother cuddled him close, he didn't even care if it was embarrassing or proper to be hugging your mother in public or not but he didn't care.

He remained in a good mood for the rest of the day he was happy to see his parents again and his grandparents and Yip and the other house-elves and his Aunt Daphne even came to dinner so he saw her too. His worries were shoved very far to the back of his mind as he told them all the things he resisted putting in letters because he didn't want Varanian to read them. He talked about his classes, he talked about his teachers, he talked about his friends, he talked about Quidditch, he talked about his detentions, all the good things about Hogwarts that were usually overshadowed by the bad but not this time. This time he focused on the good and saw their faces light up, even his grandfather looked pleased. The voice didn't bother him and his only dreams were of trying to sleep in a warm room with wood paneled walls.

The following day his grandmother took his Diagon Alley after he said he wanted to buy presents for everyone, she told him to choose whatever he liked and not worry about money. He started with Michael as he felt bad for his friend being all alone on Christmas, the first thing he bought him was a beautiful Barn Owl who could do several so Michael wouldn't actually be technically alone. Scorpius also got him some wizard robes, some notebooks, a quill that could change the color of the ink, a book on Healing Magic and a copy of the Tales of Beedle the Bard and some sweets. He hadn't meant to buy so much but he thought showering Michael with gifts might make up for him being alone. For Albus, he got a huge box of fudge, sweets and a brand new _Cloudcutter_ broom. For Rose, he got strawberry fudge - her favorite flavor - sweets and a rare book he knew she'd like. For Abby, he got cake, sweets and a slightly telepathic plant that sang the favorite song of whoever watered it.

He also got cards for all the Hogwarts staff - deliberately excluding Varanian, as well as for the whole Quidditch team - reluctantly including James - and for his friends and family too. He also found a new brand of sweets called QuidChocs, it was a box with the Quidditch balls as sweets, milk chocolate Quaffles, dark chocolate Bludgers that attacked your fingers and white chocolate Snitches that hovered around your head until you ate them, he got some for himself and a box for everyone the team - including James again, he was including the reserve team too so he thought it would seem cruel from everyone else's point of view to leave out James as no one else knew about James deliberating batting the Bludger at him, it was Christmas anyway, a time for good will.

On top of the QuidChocs, he also got Molly the charm bracelet that she'd so desperately wanted but had ran out of money for, it was very expensive silver so he decided to not get many charms so she could choose what she wanted for it. He bought a broomstick charm - because she loved Quidditch - and an Eagle Owl charm, he asked the shopkeeper to curse off the exact toe that Hopper was missing so it would be just like him, he later decided to save the broomstick charm for her birthday though. While he was in the jewelry shop, he also saw a silver dragon necklace with yellow eyes that reminded him of the color of Calderon's magic lights. He thought Calderon would like it, Calderon loved dragons and got that for him. He also got a ring for his father with his initials engraved on it, a bottle of his mother's favorite perfume for his mother, a floral brooch that actually smelled like the flower it was - he picked the one he thought smelled nicest - for his Aunt Daphne, a silver self-combing comb that his grandmother recommended for his grandfather, a big bang of owl treats for Free, sweets for Yip - the house-elf had a sweet tooth - and a different floral brooch for his grandmother at her request.

He went home laden with things and feeling ecstatic but shattered, his father's eyes bulged when he saw how much they'd bought but his grandmother insisted it was fine. The next day he insisted on wrapping all of the gifts by hand himself - after Yip showed him how - rather than leaving the house-elves to do it, even though it took up most of the day. Being Calderon's assistant had really made him realize how much effort went into things, it consistently bothered him when Calderon was dumped with things purely out of laziness on the part of the teacher that could easily and simply be done themselves. Scorpius didn't want to be like that, if he could do something himself than he would, he wasn't lazy and he wasn't useless. The only present he didn't wrap himself was Michael's owl because the bird would have to fly to Hogwarts herself, he also wrote all the cards and felt incredibly pleased with himself when he went to bed that night.

His good mood started to wane after that, he wanted the people he cared about to have a good Christmas and to like their presents but for himself... he couldn't care less. He'd been asked what gift he would like but he really couldn't think of anything, last year he'd been taken away from every object he owned and he hadn't given any of them a first thought, let alone a second. He could've gone home and found they'd lost all their money, possessions and home and not cared as long as he had his family. People were what mattered, they were irreplaceable but objects were just objects. The only things he wanted weren't things they could give him, they weren't things that anyone could give him really.

His parents also seemed upset that he didn't want to decorate the house or tree for Christmas like he'd always done with his mother, he said he would to make them happy but they still seemed sad. He supposed they knew he was just doing it for them and not because he'd stopped caring about silly decorations, they used less decoration than usual but it still depressed him. The last time they'd been decorating for Christmas was when his mother had been pregnant, they'd all been happy at the news of a new Malfoy, there'd been cause to celebrate. The next year Lyra had been dead and Scorpius had been missing, there'd been no cause to celebrate. Scorpius still didn't think there was a reason to celebrate, Lyra was still gone and a part of him would always be gone too.

* * *

Lucius was in the closest thing to a good mood as he'd been in awhile, he thought as he sat at his desk, despite his desire for Scorpius to be at Hogwarts he was actually pleased with his grandson's return for Christmas. Scorpius still didn't seem the same as he had been before his disappearance and Lucius certainly didn't approve of his friends but he was doing better than he had been in the summer, he'd barely speak two words then.

He was penning another letter to Corvinus Ashain, he'd been corresponding with the man as he'd been told. Lucius wasn't particularly fond of the assignment, Corvinus had a habit of talking down to him and the subtle yet effective insults that Corvinus wove into his writing were not lost on him. He had to keep pretending that it didn't matter and that he actually cared about the man's opinion, Lucius could tell from the first letter that Corvinus was a pompous egotistical ass and he'd taken an immediate dislike to him. He still had to grit his teeth, grip his quill and bear it as he wrote his reply.

"Hey," Brutus' voice grunted in greeting and Lucius glanced up to see the Soul Eater standing there in the shadows, he thought he was finally getting used to Brutus appearing.

"Ah, you're in luck, I've just about finished the next letter to your lovely grandfather," Lucius commented pleasantly but sarcastically and Brutus snorted as he walked over.

"I hope that bastard dies kicking and screaming, broke, miserable, alone and dressed in filthy rags that he soiled himself. He deserves it," Brutus commented as he craned his neck to read the letter, "reads okay just add a note about getting him a gift for Christmas, he likes white wine. Give him your very best."

"Fine. Is that all?"

"No, you need to come with me."

"Ugh, do I have to?"

"What do you think?" Brutus questioned and held out his hand for Lucius to take, he smelled of perfume again and Lucius sighed as he took the disgustingly deformed hand.

The shadows consumed him but the uncomfortable sensation of the teleporting left him with more breath than it had last time, he hoped that didn't mean he was getting used to it. Looking around, Lucius saw they were in a similar wood-paneled room that he'd been in when he'd 'met' the Shadow Master only this seemed like the drawing room. It was huge with a crimson divan and some other seats, a huge mahogany desk was pressing against one of the walls and Brutus gestured for him to sit down. Lucius did so and saw it was a list of names that he recognized as mostly Death Eaters, each with a small paragraph detailing a crime and sentence length for Azkaban.

He looked back to Brutus in askance, the Soul Eater looked lost in thought. It was Lucius' best estimate anyway, he thought it was difficult to read Brutus' facial expression because of the deformity or maybe he just didn't like looking at such an ugly person for long enough to figure it out. Brutus ran a hand through his hair, leaving tufts of extremely dark auburn sticking up on the misshapen planes of his head, Lucius thought he must be trying to grow it. He looked around before finally seeming to realize that Lucius was waiting on an explanation.

"It's a list of everyone in Azkaban, Celestine got it. You knew a lot of Death Eaters, you have some idea on who was useful and dependable and trustworthy and who wasn't. You need to go through all the names and write down who you think is worth saving and who isn't," Brutus explained, "the ones who aren't Death Eaters or who you didn't know then hazard a guess based on the information provided, put a star by their names so the master knows. All of us who are former Death Eaters have done it, the master is taking it all on board before we make the final decision."

"Why does it matter? They're in Azkaban," Lucius complained, he'd really rather be sleeping, "and can't it wait? Tomorrow's Christmas Eve, I want to sleep."

"Would you rather be doing this on Christmas Eve?"

"Fine," Lucius muttered and turned to the seemingly infinite amount of parchment before him, Brutus started to walk away, "wait! Are you really not going to answer my question? And are just going to leave me here unsupervised?"

"I'm not in the mood, Lucius, you're a jerk and I have stuff on my mind," Brutus said tiredly and ran his hand through his hair again, "and yes. Its not like you're going anywhere and I have to check on something, I'll be back soon."

"I didn't realize you had a mind."

"Do you want me to hit you again?"

"Fine, fine. I'm reading names now," Lucius grumbled and turned back to the list but watched Brutus leave out of the corner of his eye.

* * *

_**Thanks to:** Winged-panther1, trixsbyme, Diddleymaz and Lucifersdaughter for reviewing!_

_**Author's Note:** Okay sorry this took so long, been dying to write this chapter all day but stuff keeps happening but finally got to write it and this is longer than I thought so I've actually only started on the bit I wanted to write now but its too long so sorry to leave it here but I'm going to keep writing anyway so next update should be fast. Also sorry Lucifersdaughter, can't tell you what Corin's issue with his father, have to wait and see_


	57. I: A Night To Remember

_**Author's Note: **Okay this is the chapter I almost didn't do because its an OC point of view so sorry if its not very interesting enough for you but it is relevant and the reaction next chapter is too, also can't wait to write that. Not Christmas yet I'm afraid_

* * *

"Hey! Varanian!" Atticus Ashain called as he spotted the headmaster, the currently-blond Varanian glanced at him disinterestedly and carried on walking, "I said wait! Pay attention."

"I'm busy," Varanian stated without slowing his pace and Atticus couldn't suppress the shiver he felt whenever he was around the headmaster.

"Well fine. I just wanted to ask you something, can I leav-"

"No."

"What?"

"The answer's no, Ashain," Varanian said firmly to which Atticus frowned in irritation.

"You didn't even hear what I was going to say."

"Because I don't care what you have to say, if you wanted to leave for the holidays then you should have done so with the rest of the teachers when the holidays started."

"But somethings come up."

"I don't care."

"But-"

"If you don't like my rules then complain," Varanian offered with a slight smirk and Atticus managed to stop himself from saying that he had complained and the Ministry always insisted it was nothing and sided with Varanian, the Ministry really had gone downhill since he'd been an Auror, "if that's all then night."

Atticus stopped walking after him as Varanian turned off, scowling after the headmaster frustratedly. He _really_ hated Varanian, the headmaster was crazy, cruel, creepy and the Ministry were fools for dismissing his concerns. Regardless of anything with the blood runes, something was not right with him. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, he'd already made up his mind on what he was going to do and he didn't care what Varanian said. He shouldn't need Varanian's approval to leave the school during the holidays of all times in the first place, it was just stupid of him to even bother trying to ask. He should have just gone. He would.

He headed back to his office quickly, he couldn't help but glance at the brick in the wall holding the orb and closed his injured hand instinctively. He hated that orb but he hadn't a better idea of what to do with it at that moment, it wasn't even relevant to his current goal and he shoved it out of his mind as he said the password to get to his private quarters off the office. He didn't think Skye would be too pleased if he showed up in wizard robes after all, he changed into a muggle plaid shirt, jacket and jeans and hesitated for a moment, debating over whether to bring his wand but he didn't see how he would need it and left it on the bed before leaving.

The corridors were deserted, it was evening and after dinner anyway so not many people would be about. He didn't see anyone as he left the castle, mentally recalling the way to Hogsmeade as he walked through the snow. He shivered. There was a chill that hung in the air but it wasn't windy, it was dark though as no stars were out and he regretted not bringing his wand for the light. He certainly wasn't going back for it though.

He walked until he could see the snowy thatched roofs in sight but wasn't in the actual town, he should still be able to apparate and it would be preferable if no one would notice he was gone, he would rather keep his job if he could help it. He closed his eyes and focused. When he opened his eyes again he was in the forest opposite his home, he'd gone there in case any neighbors were up. There was no snow but it was still cold. He shivered and sighed nervously before he walked across the street and rapped on the gray door of the terraced house. He stepped back and waited, listening to his heart beating so loudly he started to wonder if he had drums in his ears. Finally his wife opened the door, holding the phone to her chest and looked slightly surprised to see him.

"I didn't hear a car," Skye pointed out.

"Err... I didn't come by car," he answered awkwardly, he had a sinking feeling that apparating may not have been the best idea.

"What did you do? Teleport?"

"Err... well... technically its called appa- yeah its not important how I got here. I err... you called and left a message telling me to come so I did. And appa- I came as fast as I could."

"Alright," Skye said, seeming to decide not to press the matter before she ducked back inside, "wait here."

He stood there awkwardly, not sure what else to do or say really and cursing himself for it. Everyone else would know what to say, there were plenty of other witches and wizards who married muggles without their spouses freaking out about magic. It was the first time he'd seen his wife in six months, he'd gone over the possible conversations they could have but he still couldn't think of what to say. Not even slightly. Why did words fail him when he needed them most? He was distracted from his thoughts by a loud bang like a gunshot, he spun around and scrambled for the wand he didn't bring but it was only Calderon, having apparated in the middle of the street. The assistant grinned as he literally _skipped_ over to him.

"Did you see that, Ticcy?" Calderon offered excitedly, "I apparated, all by own. I only passed the test this year, failed it fifteen years in a row and I still really don't like it and its really hard but I can do it and I did it."

"Yes, yes, well done," Atticus said quickly at Calderon's childish enthusiasm and started to panic internally, Calderon couldn't not to magic for more than five minutes, the last thing Skye needed was more magic, "but what are you doing here?! Go away, Skye will freak if she sees you and you do magic in front of her. Magic is the problem, not the solution."

"Pippy has wards in place that detect if someone enters or leaves Hogwarts grounds, he sent me to investigate and I remembered what you said about your wife leaving a message so I thought it was probably you so I came here."

"Varanian has what?! That really doesn't bother you?"

"Sort of but he's worried about everyone's safety," Calderon said slowly and cocked his head to one side, "we should go back."

"No! No. Absolutely not yet. Look I'm just waiting for Skye to get back, she could be back at any minute so just go."

"I can't just leave without you, that would be-"

"Fine then go and... go and wait across the road," Atticus interrupted not wanting to waste time arguing, Calderon eyed the forest for a moment, "just until I'm done talking to Skye, please Calderon."

"Fine but if you don't come soon then Pippy will be looking for us both."

"Fine, just go."

Calderon very reluctantly and with frustrating slowness went across the road to the edge of the woods, he sighed with relief before jumping as the front door opened again. Skye handed him a piece of paper and for one horrifying moment he thought it was divorce papers, it wasn't though. It was a picture, a crayon drawing that looked like one of the kids had drawn it, probably Cassia and he felt a depressing stab as he was reminded how long it had been since he'd seen them. There was a big bright sun in the sky above some body of water with a red boat on it, it took him a moment to realize that the picture was moving, the blue lines rippled like waves and the boat moved left across the page then right and then left, even the suns rays were waving.

"Cassie did that," Skye explained, "it keeps moving and well... pictures aren't supposed to move, I figured you could stop it or just take it away."

"I err... could just take it away," Atticus offered, he hadn't brought his wand and he didn't actually want to destroy his daughter's beautiful magic, Skye just nodded as he folded it up and pocketed it.

"What happened to your hand?"

"It's nothing, just a scratch," he brushed it off and swallowed nervously, "can... can I see them?"

"Oh. Well Atty, I would if they were here, really, but they're staying with my brother and the girls for a few days. Over Christmas actually, I'm driving up tomorrow because I couldn't get time off work until Christmas Eve."

"Oh. Sounds... nice."

"Yeah, I just got off the phone with them, they like the snow... I told Justin about the whole... magic... stuff... so he knows but he also knows not to say anything. His girls aren't in danger are they?"

"No, its unlikely they'd accidentally hurt their cousins with magic."

"No, that's not what I meant. I meant... that its not contagious, the magicness won't rub off on the girls and make them like... you know... how they are."

"You're either born magical or you're not," Atticus pointed out and tried not to scowl at the way Skye made it sound like their children were diseased lepers, "its not something you can catch and I'm pretty sure the girls aren't magical."

"Right. So about the magic... is... is there a cure?"

"A _cure_?"

"Yes, you know to fix them and make them normal people."

"They are normal people."

"You know what I mean," Skye protested and he couldn't not scowl then, "isn't there any way to get rid of the magicness and make them human?"

"No, they _are_ human. Its not something you can change, anymore than you can change the color of your skin or your blood type. It's just... a part of you."

"Well isn't anyone working on a cure?"

"It's a not a disease!"

"I know! I just... you know, was wondering. Look I'm tired and I have a long drive ahead of me tomorrow, okay? But I'll call you and on Christmas so the kids can talk to you too. Goodnight, Atty."

Before he could respond, she closed the door on him. He opened and closed his mouth a few times regardless, still trying to grasp how magic could be construed as a disease. He was extremely confused and even more depressed than he'd been before, he sighed and started over to Calderon who was still standing by the forest edge and staring into the darkness. He shivered violently.

"Do we have to go back right away?" Atticus questioned hopelessly when he was close enough that the assistant would be able to hear him, "I could really do with a drink right now and-"

Before he could finish his sentence, Calderon ran into the forest. He threw his hands up in the air in exasperation, seriously considering just apparating back and leaving Calderon to do... whatever he hoped to accomplish by running into a forest in the middle of night. He sighed frustratedly and started muttering a string of curses under his breath as he ran after Calderon, he seemed wrong to just go and leave him there.

It was dark in the forest, the trees blocked out the light from the streetlamps, he wished not for the first time that he'd brought his made no effort to run quietly though so Atticus followed by sound which was good because it was really, _really_ dark as the got deeper into the dense woods and Calderon changed direction so randomly and so often it was hard to keep up regardless of who good a runner he was. He thought it was slightly odd though, the exercise had warmed him up but he couldn't stop shivering. He was actually starting to wonder whether he was sick when he came to an abrupt halt as a chill swept through him. He'd been an Auror long enough to recognize the early warning signs of Dementors when he saw them.

"Calderon, wait!" Atticus called out desperately but Calderon's footsteps didn't stop, he heard a high-pitched scream.

Atticus darted after him and came out of the trees into a small clearing, there was not one but _five_ Dementors and all of them had swarmed around Calderon who was lying limp on the ground. Atticus went to take out his wand and cursed himself again for not bringing it, he didn't hesitate as he ran towards Calderon regardless, if he could just grab him then he could apparate them both to safety.

He'd just started to fall to his knees to reach the assistant when he felt a burst of magic strike his right shoulder, pain exploded where he'd been struck as he was flung violently backwards through the air and way back into a tree, way over on the other side of the clearing to Calderon. He fell to the ground and sat up with his back against the tree, breathing through the pain and trying to get his bearings in the darkness. He saw the man who had to have attacked him, his wand trained on Atticus who didn't dare move as the man moved closer to him. He was young with wild eyes, dressed in black and had a cocky smile. Atticus stretched out his legs and hoped the young man would make the common error of getting to close to a subdued opponent.

"I know I'm really not supposed to kill you but Seraph will reward me greatly," the attacker said as he raised his wand but he had made the fatal mistake.

_If you can't win fair then fight dirty_, Brutus' words came to mind, _in a life or death situation it really won't matter about etiquette, it just matters that you _don't_ die_. Atticus swept out with his outstretched leg, the young man was knocked off his feet and his wand went flying into the air. Atticus caught it in his left hand as he scrambled to his feet, turning it on its very stunned-looking owner.

Another burst of magic came out from the other side of the clearing, he barely ducked in time to avoid it and saw two more people emerging from the shadows. They both immediately set about attacking him, he wasn't used to using his left hand to duel but pain shot through his right from his shoulder if he moved his body, let alone the arm. They had covered it in Auror training though and an excessive amount of practice with Brutus had drilled it in surprisingly well, he found himself holding his own against both of his opponents.

A flurry of magic filled the air as they dueled completely non-verbally, multicolored jets of power streamed between them so fast that if he hadn't been the one dueling then he wouldn't be able to keep up with what was happening. The spells and counter-spells came instinctively to mind and his left quickly came to be in tune with what he wanted, it'd been years since he'd dueled but he didn't feel the slightest bit rusty. In fact, he was actually gaining ground on his attackers which they seemed to realize.

"Retter! Don't just sit there, grab the target now!" one of his opponents commanded without missing a beat in their duel.

The man whose wand Atticus was now using had remained on the ground just watching the duel but at his accomplices words he started rushing towards Calderon, who remained unmoving on the ground surrounded by Dementors. Atticus quickly cast the strongest shield charm he knew to protect himself as he launched a spell at the man - presumably Retter - before he could reach the assistant, it hit him at a strange angle and he was thrown forcefully backwards from Calderon but to Atticus' right.

The tree Retter was thrown against happened to have a branch sticking out in that direction and he was unfortunate enough to become impaled on it, Atticus flinched in horror as the suddenly slippery scarlet branch shot through the center of the young man's chest. His mouth opened in silent scream, his wild eyes bulged for a moment and then never moved again. He was dead. Atticus felt a painfully familiar sick feeling at having killed someone, regardless of the somewhat justified circumstances, guilt gnawed at him and he couldn't help but think of his brother. To his surprise though, Retter's corpse spasmed violently and a strange ball of light floated out of his gaping mouth. That was definitely not familiar. Atticus shivered again but used the distraction to his advantage and stunned one of his opponents, they were thrown out of sight and he hoped they hadn't died too.

"Look, Ashain, we're not after you!" the man who'd spoken before called out, "we only want the assistant, just apparate out of here and you won't be harmed."

"No!" Atticus yelled immediately, it wasn't even an option but he used the reprieve to his advantage as he turned his wand against the Dementors, "_Expecto Patronum_!"

He summoned memories of his family and his patronus immediately materialized out of the end of the wand, it was a silvery sea turtle that gracefully but ferociously charged at the Dementors, driving the cloaked figures back. The light from the patronus also illuminated the clearing much better than the duel had, out of the corner of his eye he saw three more people materialized from the shadows behind him, silently apparating? They seemed to step from the darkness rather than just pop out of thin air or dark air.

He wasn't a bad duelist but he couldn't fight so many people from so many different angles, or at least he couldn't for long and he couldn't hope to win. He needed to get him and Calderon out of there, otherwise they would die or be Kissed or whatever they wanted with Calderon.

He cast a spell, swishing the wand which created a crescent of air that shot out and knocked several of the newcomers off their feet. It caused all the spells they'd tried to cast at him to shoot off into random directions, the poor trees were hit by a random assortment of curses and one narrowly missed the ball of light by Retter's body. This seemed to terrify the man who'd dueled with Atticus.

"Don't hit that or we're all dead!" the man screamed looking seriously frightened.

Atticus tried not to think about what it as he ran towards Calderon, he cast a shield charm to try protect himself from the barrage of curses being thrown at him as he ran, most of them bounced off but it wasn't all encompassing. A jet of red slipped past just when he thought that he might actually make it to Calderon and survive, it struck Calderon's extremely high-pitched scream tore through the night, and so did the light.

Magic erupted from Calderon as he screamed, a blast of vicious light burst out from him and pulsed out in every direction. The ground cracked and was left scorched where it touched, Atticus noticed the man who'd spoken vanishing into the shadows before the magic could reach him. The rest of them were left to feel the effects, Atticus wasn't exempt from this. It felt like he'd been physically struck by a ball of fire at any place the magic had touched him, with enough force to knock him to the ground and pain seared from all the wounds, he was glad the wand was also thrown from his hand because it exploded. All of the wands exploded.

He was on his stomach but he fought through the burning pain to look up just in time to see Calderon's magic hitting the ball of light, the coward's words were on his mind as he scrambled to run to Calderon in time. The explosion was the definition of deafening, his whole world shook and he couldn't stay on his feet as he fell beside the assistant. It ripped through the air, obliterating anything it touched and he desperately grabbed Calderon's arm and apparated as it was about to reach them, he could feel the intense heat on his skin.

He had to grip Calderon's arm so tightly because the force of the blast still caught them and the second they landed in the snow outside of Hogsmeade he was thrown away from Calderon and crashed against another tree before thudding painfully onto the treacherously hard ground. He couldn't hear anything over the roar of the explosion that continued to echo inside his mind but he hadn't a moment to breath before another burst of Calderon's magic caught him, catching his still injured shoulder painfully.

He raised his head enough to see Calderon had curled up in the fetal position in the huge brown circle as the snow had been evaporated by the magic, clutching his head as waves of light continued to cascade from him, his lips were moving but his eyes were closed. Atticus frustratedly tried to move towards him, every time being hit by another wave of burning magic even if it wasn't as intense as the first had been, he screamed Calderon's name with every breath left in his body but he couldn't even hear his own voice so he doubted Calderon could.

He made a run for him, trying to dodge the magic with little success and shield his face but was knocked to his knees as he reached Calderon's side, shaking his shoulder to which Calderon's dark eyes shot open and recognized him. The latest and final surge of magic stopped and shimmered in the air around them, Calderon sat up and looked around them fearfully, he was talking but Atticus still couldn't hear him.

Finally having a moment to breathe without being attacked, he mentally assessed their current situation as he looked around. No attackers. No dementors. Just outside of Hogsmeade. He didn't have his wand. He didn't think Calderon even had a wand. He was injured, the piercing pain in his shoulder remained from Retter and he was covered in stinging burns from Calderon and probably bruises from everything. He wasn't hurt enough to incapacitate him though, as much as a part of him thought passing out from the pain would be a blessing he was still able to move. He needed to get them back to Hogwarts, they'd be safe there.

He forced his legs to get up off the ground and told Calderon to come on, but he still couldn't hear. Calderon didn't get up though, he remained staring ahead in their bubble of light. Atticus rolled his eyes and offered the assistant his left hand but Calderon still didn't react. He took Calderon's hand and finally the assistant stood up, looking around and still talking but Atticus still couldn't hear. It was strange not being able to hear and put them at another disadvantage but he couldn't do anything about it, certainly not without a wand at any rate.

He got his bearings and started to head towards to Hogwarts but Calderon didn't follow, he remained silently babbling and staring at the ground. Atticus took his hand again and led him, Calderon would slowly walk slightly him then but continued staring off in a random direction and would stop walking as soon as Atticus let go of his hand. At least Calderon's lights illuminated their way so they could see and Atticus continuously scanned the area for any sign of attackers, it also would allow attackers to see them easier but since he couldn't hear it helped having one sense at least. It wasn't like he could really get Calderon to stop anyway, the assistant had picked a bad time to have a mental breakdown.

As they walked - albeit painfully slowly - his hearing did start to return and he could understand what Calderon was saying, or at least hear him, he wasn't sure what the assistant was on about but he didn't stop speaking. It was just rapid random non-stop babble.

"Anyone want to dance with the shadows? Anyone dare to take on the night? Can you stay sane as you stare down their gaze? Do you still want to do what is right? You'll lose your soul if you let them take hold, Never again shall you walk in the light. How many times have I told you not to tease your brother like that? You know he's not stable. A lot of times. Then don't do it. I can do what I wand. Just for that the dementors can guard you both. Not the dementors please. Isn't that worse than me teasing him? Do you want me to hurt you? I hate them. I hate them all. You should kill them, Tommy, you should kill them all. I don't want to kill anyone, killing is bad. Killing bad people isn't bad. Why don't you kill them then? You're more powerful than me, they just stop me. That's because they're the masters and they're better than us. No they're not, we're better than they are, we should be the masters, Tommy, they're beneath us and we're greater than now they'll ever be. When you talk like that, you sound crazier than I am."

Atticus just zoned him out and focused on keeping them alive, they weren't attacked again though. Calderon continued talking through most of the journey before falling silent just as Hogwarts came into view, he sighed with relief as he led Calderon towards it and the assistant didn't say another word. Atticus hoped he'd be okay once he had some chocolate, he really wanted to get the hospital wing but he stopped by the kitchens to get chocolate for Calderon and handed it to the assistant.

Calderon looked at the chocolate like he'd forgotten out to eat, Atticus was seriously considering demonstrating before Calderon nibbled the corner. He managed a weak smile as started heading to the hospital wing, Calderon still didn't follow and he reluctantly took the assistant's hand again to get him to follow which he did and continued eating the chocolate as they walked. Finally reaching the hospital wing, he got Calderon to sit down on one of the beds and handed him the rest of the chocolate to eat. He didn't think he needed any for himself even though he felt a bit lightheaded, if anything he just needed a drink because he was basically fine, Calderon was hopefully fine, everything was fine.

"What in the world happened to you?!" Madam Pomfrey's voice demanded and he turned just enough to see the aging witch striding out from her office.

His body chose that moment to finally succumb to his injuries and pass out.

* * *

_**Thanks to:** Diddleymaz and Lucifersdaughter for reviewing!_


	58. I: Pain

Lucius was incredibly bored from looking through the names on the list, picking through the not entirely pleasant memories of the Death Eaters and having to guess over the usefulness over those he didn't know was just as bad. He really wanted to go home to bed, it was late and he was tired. He heard a tremendous crash and immediately felt wide awake again, without even thinking about whether he was allowed or not, he jumped up and went out to investigate the noise.

The room exited into another wood-paneled corridor at the top of a curved staircase, the noise was coming from downstairs and almost against his better judgement he found himself going down until he was on the ground level. Brutus, Seraph and a stranger were there.

"What did you expect me to do?!" a man shrieked, he was getting up from the ruins of a table that it looked like he'd been thrown through, "stay there and die like the others?! How is my fault that they didn't get out of their faster?!"

"You should have gotten the target!" Brutus screamed, his voice filled with rage and the stranger cringed back, Lucius had a fallen that Brutus was the reason the man had been thrown through the table, "he could have died! Don't you know how important he is to the master?! Not to mention _my_ brother could have died!"

"Your brother drove away the dementors and the target used magic, how are we supposed to stop magic like that?! He's powerful!"

"That's why he's important! And you fucking improvise if something goes wrong! You _don't_ leave empty handed! You _don't_ fail the master!"

"Please, I'm sorry, I won't do it again," the man said as he broke down sobbing but Brutus didn't look in the forgiving mood, rage blazed in his eyes as he drew his wand, "please, I'm sorry! I'm sorry! It wasn't my fault!"

"_AVADA KEDAVRA!_" Brutus yelled the words and the flash of green was blinding, Seraph looked infuriated by this as the stranger's corpse hit the ground. His blue eyes gazed sightlessly at Lucius, he was about to look away before the body spasmed and a ball of light left the body, much like he'd seen it leave the woman when Brutus had been demonstrating what the Specters were capable of.

"What the hell, Brutus?!" Seraph snapped irritably, "you can't go around killing my people! Boone was a coward but he was one of the more skilled I had."

"HE FAILED!" Brutus roared and turned his wand on Seraph, Lucius detected a flicker of fear in Seraph's eyes, "I can kill who I want! And _you_! You told Retter to kill my brother! I'LL KILL YOU FOR THAT! AVA-"

Lucius felt control of his body wrested away from him, it wasn't like the Imperius curse where you force to obey, it was like someone else had taken over his body and he could only watch helplessly through his own eyes. His legs darted towards to Brutus with a speed he hadn't had since his youth and his arms grabbed Brutus' wand arm, shoving it out of the way so the curse missed Seraph completely and instead blasted a nearby door. His head was turned to watch Brutus, the Soul Eater's rage diminished as he looked at him.

"Seraph is off-limits," Lucius heard his own voice saying with someone else using it, "Boone and his team failed, if any of them were left then I'd kill them myself for it. Failure is not tolerated. Failure proves unworthiness, weakness and worthlessness. But Seraph isn't responsible, do not kill him, Brutus."

"But S-" Brutus started to protest but Lucius' voice shushed him and caressed his face.

"Seraph is useful for now, regardless of your dislike of each other. He will not be killed," Lucius' voice said before he leaned in close to Brutus to whisper into his oversized ear, "yet."

Brutus nodded as Lucius moved away from him, seemingly content with this but while he no longer looked about to kill someone, he still didn't look particularly pleased with the turn of events. He lowered his wand though and Lucius felt his mouth curl into a smile that wasn't his own, he really didn't like the feeling of his body being used as a puppet for the Shadow Master. He tried to fight it but felt almost as if he'd been shoved back, he was no longer able to see or hear or feel what was happening to his body.

He was aware but he couldn't feel anything, he couldn't do anything. He started to panic. Was he dead? Was this what it felt like to lose your soul? He started to panic and tried to reach out, he couldn't physically so he tried magically. He wasn't particularly skilled at legilimency or had much experience with it let alone wandlessly and non-verbally but he tried to use what little he knew to regain control or at least figure out what was happening, at first nothing happened but he focused intensely, he focused all of his energy into it. And he felt it, he felt like he was dipping into cold water that chilled every fiber of his soul. He pushed past it with all of his strength and-

_"-and don't leave this room until he's done magic or died trying!" Lord Voldemort snapped shoving a boy forwards, he turned on his heel and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him._

_"Yes, my Lord," Lucius said obediently._

_If he had eyes at that point then Lucius would have blinked in shock, he could see himself standing before him as clear as glass, a younger version of himself anyway, maybe his early forties? It looked like a room from his own house, whoever's eyes he was seeing through seemed content to stare at the door after Lord Voldemort rather than taking in the room. They wanted to say with Lord Voldemort, Lucius wasn't sure why but he knew that was what the person wanted, they didn't want to be dragged there with people they considered beneath them._

_The boy stared back at the door too, he was maybe a bit older than Scorpius was although the state of him made it hard to tell. He seemed on the same height level as the person whose eyes Lucius was seeing out of, was short and frightfully thin, his hands, arms and face looked as if someone had just stretched his waxy skin over the bones. The clothes looked old, worn and too big for him and one of the sleeves had been ripped open to reveal a strange series of cuts that Lucius couldn't quiet make out from that angle. His shaggy tangled hair was dark black and his eyes were dark too, in contrast to his incredibly pale skin, he looked like he'd never seen sun at all. He looked familiar though. Lucius couldn't place him, he couldn't actually remember any of it._

_Another man grabbed the terrified boy and flung him onto the dusty floorboards, Lucius recognized him as Rodolphus Lestrange and from his gaunt appearance, Lucius would guess that his brother-in-law had only just got out of Azkaban. Rodolphus launched a cruel kick at the poor boy, who yelped in pain and darted his eyes between the two men_ _fearfully. Lucius watched Past-Lucius walk over to stand in front of the lone window, sunlight trying to shine through the thick dark drapes. It was indeed a room in his house, he recognized it as one of the unused rooms, there were pictures on the walls and two sets of shelves on the opposing laden with dusty old books and useless junk, one of which doubled as a desk and there was a spindly chair in front of it._

_"Why don't you give Tommy your wand?" Past-Lucius said to Rodolphus who had it out and aimed at the boy, "he doesn't have one and he'll need one if we're to make him do magic."_

_"You better not be a bloody squib like that caretaker Filch or Marius Black," Rodolphus snarled at the boy - presumably Tommy - and tossed his wand in front of Tommy, "if you're another Marius then you'll die. Painfully."_

_Lucius felt the lips of the person whose eyes he was seeing - he assumed it was the Master- curl into a snarl, for a start clearly Tommy wasn't a squib as he could actually see dementors, was everyone stupid but the Master? The Master walked over to a shadowy section of the wall and sat down, leaning back against the wall and hugging their knees to their chest. The trousers the Master wore looked old and worn and also too big, there was a hole in one of the knees revealing a pale bony knee._

_Tommy picked up the wand shakily and got his feet, holding it awkwardly as if he'd never held a wand before or had much clue on how to use it, in fact he was aiming the handle at Past-Lucius. Rodolphus furiously snatched it from him and handing it back so he was holding it the right way, he grunted and went to sit lazily on the chair while Past-Lucius told him to use Expelliarmus to disarm him as he should be more than capable of doing as a thirteen year old. Something clicked in Lucius' mind as he heard Past-Lucius give the boy's age, hadn't some crazy person recently accused him of torturing them when they were that age? _

_"Ex-Expellimus," Tommy said nervously but nothing happened, clearly as he'd said it wrong and not even moved his wrist. Past-Lucius also noticed this._

_"Its Expelliarmus not Expellimus, you idiot!" Past-Lucius barked._

_"Say it right and you have to move your wrist."_

_"Expelliarmus," Tommy said it correctly that time but brandished the wand wildly and uselessly. _

_Past-Lucius rolled his eyes just as Lucius wished he could as Past-Lucius started lecturing him on how to do it right. Tommy kept trying for awhile but was having no luck, it was as if he'd never performed a spell before but Lucius knew that couldn't be right if the boy was thirteen. _

_"Why don't you give him some incentive?" Rodolphus sneered and Tommy hugged his injured arm fearfully to his chest._

_The Master furiously turned away and stopped listening, pulling down the sleeves to look at flawlessly pale, bony arms. The Master wanted incentive too, the Master wanted the Mark too, it wasn't fair that Tommy got it and the Master got nothing. The Master was just as important as Tommy was, it wasn't fair that he got all the attention and the Master's existence was barely even registered at all. It wasn't fair._

_"Crucio!" _

_Lucius heard his own voice use the unforgivable curse and Tommy's scream cut through the Master's thoughts, attention returning to the thirteen year old who was on the ground convulsing and screaming as Past-Lucius coldly kept the curse on him, Rodolphus watched on with a look of sadistic pleasure. He could feel the Master's distress at Tommy's pain, the Master was considering doing something before Past-Lucius finally stopped.  
_

_"Every failure will be punished," Past-Lucius said coolly, "failure is not tolerated amongst the ranks of the Death Eaters. It shows you're weak, worthless and unworthy. Now get up and pick up your wand."_

_Tommy was shaking as he scrabbled for the wand and got back up, he struggled even more than he had before, too scared and hurt to concentrate properly. Past-Lucius and Rodolphus didn't seem to realize this though, or maybe they just didn't care. The Master looked away into the darkness, not wanting to watch anymore than Lucius did. He could still hear though, he could the boy's failed attempts, hear his own voice inflicting the curse on the child, hear the screams. The Master hated Lucius. In the moment Lucius did too._

_The Master wanted them to suffer, the Master wanted to hear Lucius and Rodolphus screaming instead, the Master wanted Lucius to watch someone he cared about be tortured and see how he liked it, his wife or son maybe. The Master would make them suffer for what they were doing, no matter how long it took. Lucius felt a stab of panic at the Master's line of thought, was this an actual memory or just a bizarre dream that Lucius was having? It couldn't be real, Lucius couldn't remember any of it. He didn't want it to be real._

_"Get up!" Past-Lucius was yelling and the Master looked back, Tommy was on his hands and knees seeming to have fallen, "I said get up!"_

_"Please, I just... I just need a rest," Tommy pleaded and Lucius wished Past-Lucius would listen but he only shifted his position and raised his wand._

_"A rest?! You haven't done anything! Cruc-"_

_"NO!"_

_Tommy's scream was so high-pitched that Lucius wanted to recoil from it, he wasn't sure how the Master managed not to. A burst of magic shot out from the boy at the word, a yellow light that pulsed out in all directions. Cracks spread out wherever the light touch, branching out through the dusty floorboards, the ceiling, the peeling walls, the pictures all shattered and smashed to the ground. The shelves were broken, the books ripped apart, the items destroyed, shards of glass rained down on Tommy from the chandelier above him. The windows were blown out and everyone in the room was thrown violently back against the wall - Past-Lucius only narrowly missed bring flung out of the window, the Master only got a slight shove for already leaning against it._

_Tommy was definitely not a squib._

_The two men got to their feet but Rodolphus reacted first, the veins on his forehead were bulging with fury at having been attacked and he went to draw the wand he didn't have. Instead he angrily stormed over to Tommy and snatched up the wand from the glass graveyard, the torture curse was on his lips but Past-Lucius quickly crossed the gap between them and grabbed his arm._

_"Do you want him to do that again?" Past-Lucius demanded and Rodolphus seemed to concede it was a good point, instead launching a brutal kick at the boy that knocked him to the ground and to the right towards the Master, "I don't want my house or myself in pieces, thank you very much. Did the Dark Lord want the other one to magic too or can I go back to doing something worthwhile? We still have to get that Prophecy."_

_"I don't know," Rodolphus grunted and his eyes met the Master's, Past-Lucius looked directly at them as well, "hey... what was your name again?"_

_"I don't remember," Past-Lucius offered with a chuckle and waved his hand dismissively, "its not important, I'll go ask and inform him of Tommy's progress, you can babysit."_

_Lucius felt the Master's rage, hands clenched in balls of anger. How dare they forget the Master's name?! The Master was important, the Master's name was important and how dare they not realize that! The Master looked up at the chandelier, Rodolphus and Past-Lucius were standing under it as Rodolphus arguing angrily against being called a babysitter. The Master raised a hand and tugged it back down, in response the huge heavy chandelier was pulled from the ceiling and started to fall towards the oblivious adults. _

_Tommy alone realized this, his dark eyes twitching with panic and desperately threw his arm aside. Lucius saw the cuts on his arm clearly for the first time: it was the Dark Mark, someone had carved the Dark Mark into Tommy's arm. He didn't have time to dwell on it though as his attention was still captured by the turn of events, the chandelier obediently jumped in the direction that Tommy had moved his arm and crashed to the ground a few feet away, saving the adults lives. They didn't realize this though. They hadn't seen what the Master had tried to do, they only saw Tommy, they assumed it was just Tommy._

_"You were trying to kill us?!" Rodolphus yelled and Tommy glanced at the Master miserably but didn't rat them out as he looked back to the ground, "you worthless brat! Think you can kill me?! You could never kill me, you ungrateful piece of shit."_

_Rodolphus threw another violent kick at Tommy. Then another. Then another. Past-Lucius just walked away, taking the opportunity to get his way and leaving Tommy to a merciless undeserved beating. The Master hoped that Tommy would live to regret saving the two Death Eaters. Past-Lucius returned shortly, a cruel smile played on his lips as he looked directly at the Master as he spoke.  
_

_"Your turn."_

Lucius abruptly felt as though he was being violently pulled away, pulled through the icy coldness before being shoved forwards and his body was thrown against the ground painfully. He cringed and actually cringed, the stinging in his branded arm confirming he was himself again and Seraph was standing over him but his eyes were entirely black, the way Celestine's had been when he was being controlled by the master. They positively glowed with darkness and rage, the side of Seraph's face that was capable of expression looked... in crude terms, pissed off.

"STAY OUT OF MY HEAD!" Seraph roared and held the good arm over Lucius, there was no wand or verbal incantation but the pain that shot through Lucius' body was unbearable.

* * *

Scorpius was trying to muster up excitement for Christmas, it would be Christmas Eve in the morning after all. When he was younger he'd have been so enthusiastic that one year he had literally bounced himself off the walls, he hoped his parents wouldn't be upset that he didn't feel excited about it.

He was actually more excited about wondering if everyone would like the presents he'd gotten them, before his parents had basically chosen the presents and just let him choose which gifts he wanted to be from him but this year he'd picked himself and they hadn't a clue what they were getting from him. He almost wished he could see everyone opening their presents to see their reaction, he hoped they'd like them, he hoped they'd have a good Christmas. He fell asleep hoping.

_"If you keep that up then you'll kill him," the gruff voice that belong to the man with the deformed hands was saying, "we need him if we're to get the orb from Corvinus. Master?"_

_He was in a bedroom with wood-paneled walls, he'd dreamed of the room before. Except this time the door seemed to have been attacked, splinters and chunks of wood were strewn across the room. He was sitting on the end of the bed staring through the wreckage, he could see two fairly distant figures from behind._

What are you doing? Scorpius couldn't help but wonder of his dream body. Did you destroy the door?

_"No," his dream-body said quietly, "it was a stray killing curse from in there, everyone seems angry and murdery tonight. I think I can slip away while they're distracted though, I don't think they realized the door was blown apart."_

What are you waiting for then?

_"They were talking about attacking Azkaban, it was interesting," his dream-self offered as he stood up and quietly went to the door, "they're going to attack it soon. You should warn someone but be careful, someone's a spy on their side."_

This is a dream

_"I can't argue with you right now, voice."_

_His dream-body complained as he slipped out and started to head down an empty corridor to the left, all wood-paneled walls. He started to feel a giddy surge of hope that he might be free, as fell as a surge of fear that they could realize at any second, he started to run. He ran and ran through the maze of corridors, further away from the people, trying to find an exit._

_He heard a door open and dived through another one in panic, inside the room was the strangest thing. There were shelves lining all four walls and every shelf was stacked with glass boxes containing balls of light, he stopped counting after he hit a hundred. There were a lot to say the least. He found them oddly disturbing, something about them was just... wrong. He started to back away and the door, only for it to swing open and rough hands grabbed him. He tilted his head back hopelessly and recognized Selwyn._

_He wanted to cry, why could nothing go right for him? He just wanted to go home. Selwyn started half dragging him back the way he'd come, he struggled but the man's grip was unshakable. He had no choice but to be forced back the way he'd came, his hope being pushed further and further into the ground with every step._

_"The kid tried to escape. Again," Selwyn announced as they reached the big room outside of the bedroom he'd just escaped from, "and I'm not surprised. Which one of you obliterated the door?"_

_Before anyone could answer a shadow shot out of the backs of one of the people he could see from behind and sped towards him, it stopped right in front of him. It was a human-shaped shadow like he'd seen before, two pitch black holes where eyes should be was the only feature it had. He frantically tried to lunge away from it but Selwyn still refused to budge as the shadow-being stepped towards, he recoiled but it stepped into him. He felt a chill spread through, it was so cold that it physically hurt and for a moment he actually wondered if he was going to vomit ice before it passed. He closed his eyes and felt a smile on his lips, Selwyn let him go._

_"Would someone tell our guest to refrain from speaking?" his dream-body said with his dream-voice but it sounded slightly different, "wouldn't want him to recognized but I want him to see this."_

_Why can't I move?!_ the voice stated in panic.

I can never move in these dreams, only you can

_"A tad overcrowded in here, isn't it boys?" his dream-body spoke again as his feet started to move until he sat down in what felt like an armchair, "don't worry I'm going to fix that, sever that connection between you. Is everyone who hasn't seen me do this before watching?"_

_"They're watching," the gruff voice sighed._

_"Excellent. Then bear witness as I rip out a wizard's power from his still breathing body."_

_He felt like he was being torn apart from the inside, deeper than his skin, deeper than his bones. It hurt worse than anything he'd ever experienced, it hurt on a level he couldn't describe. His body was convulsing, trying to rid itself of the invisible claws tearing through his soul. He screamed so loud his throat hurt, he screamed so loud his lungs hurt and then he felt it. Like an icy hand had just gripped his heart, for the briefest of moments the pain was gone and he could only hear his own heart beating against the ice holding it. Then the hand started to pull it out, his scream was deafening, the pain was unimaginable._

Scorpius sat bolt upright in his own bed, he was drenched in freezing sweat and his parents and grandmother were rushing to him. The pain was still reverberating through his bones, his screams echoing in his mind, he was shaking so badly. His father reached him first and put his arms around him, Scorpius clung to him and buried his head in his father's chest. He swallowed down big breaths of air, it hurt to breathe. His shoulders shook and his eyes fought to cry, he wanted to cry but the tears refused would come. What was wrong with him? What was wrong with him in general?

"Why is this happening to me?" Scorpius said aloud without meaning to and he felt his father hold him closer, his mother hugged him from his other side. None of them had an answer.

* * *

Lucius stared at the boy, he looked about ten and was clearly an albino. He had a scar on his wrist. His skin was colorless more so than pale, his hair was whiter than snow and almost shoulder length with a slight wave to it. Devoid of the Specter, Lucius saw the irises of his eyes were crimson, tears were streaming from them. He wasn't vocally sobbing though, he didn't look like he had the strength to do that. His body had collapsed into the chair as soon as he'd stopped convulsing as both the ball of light and Specter left him, at first Lucius had assumed he was dead but the albino had opened hopeless eyes that darted between them. The rise and fall of his chest also indicated he was alive and the tears rolling down his cheeks.

"I taught the Specters to rip out the magic without killing the victim," Selwyn said and Lucius spared him a glance to see his eyes were now entirely black, the master was speaking though him, "the only problem is that your power is a part of your soul, you can't survive long with a chunk of your soul missing, maybe half an hour if you're unlucky enough, its a horrible way to die."

"What is wrong with you?" Lucius whispered but the Shadow Master only smirked through Selwyn and gestured, the ball of light went into the albino's chest and the boy gasped, his breathing becoming easier. He glanced at Seraph and Brutus, Brutus looked wracked with guilt and Seraph looked impressed.

"Specters are born from suffering, take a hint," the Shadow Master offered and walked over to Lucius, offering him a hand, "take my hand, I want to show you something. The rest of you guard the boy, remove the corpse and don't kill each other while I'm gone."

Lucius reluctantly took the possessed-Selwyn's hand and felt the increasingly familiar sensation of the shadow teleporting, it didn't leave him out of breath that time. The sickening stench of burning flesh filled his nostrils immediately. He looked around and saw he was in the middle of what he thought had once been a forest, the earth was scorched and blackened lumps that had probably been trees, he saw several charred skeletons scattered around. He was standing in the wake of something devastating.

"This is what happens when you destroy a wizard's magic," Shadow-Master-possessing-Selwyn announced with a flourish and a smirk, "and its not even the best use of it, you'll see come Brutus' birthday why they're so useful to me. Keep an eye on your grandson. And take a good look, this is what the world is going to look like while I'm rising to power. I wanted you to see because its partly thanks to you that this is all possible."

The Shadow Master took out Selwyn's wand and aimed it at the sky, a crimson pulse shot out into the air and formed into the same skeletal snake symbol that had been branded into Lucius' arm. Another blast out, this time making words: _Anyone else want to dance with the Shadows?_

* * *

_**Thanks to: **Lucifersdaughter, Winged-panther1 and Diddleymaz for reviewing!**  
**_

_**To Winged-panther1: **No, shadows are not the dead from the Battle of Hogwarts but interesting guess_


	59. I: Worries and Weasleys

Scorpius just clung to his parents for a long time, even after he stopped trembling and his body felt normal again. He wondered if they thought he was pathetic and weak - he _was_ pathetic and weak, he reminded himself forcefully - but he couldn't bring himself to lie about being fine, he had an irrational fear that losing contact with them would mean losing them forever. He couldn't shake that the fear, anymore than he could shake the feeling that he was missing something but if he tried to think about it then his head started to ache.

He kept waiting for his parents to get sick of holding him, to tell him he was being childish and getting so upset over what was just a dream - it _had_ to be just a dream - was pointless. They didn't though. He felt a twinge of warmth in his heart as he glanced between his parents loving faces as the sunlight bled through the drapes to touch them. It didn't matter what he got for Christmas, he already had the greatest gift of all: family. He smiled weakly and they smiled back.

"I love you," Scorpius whispered.

"We love you too," his mother whispered back and he felt her kiss the top of his head.

"Are you feeling better?" his father asked gently, "it was just a dream. You're safe now, no one's ever going to hurt you again, we won't let anyone hurt you again."

"Yeah," Scorpius muttered but he couldn't stop himself from thinking of Hogwarts at his father's assurance he would keep him safe, they couldn't keep him safe there.

They didn't even know how close he'd come to dying on the first night alone, they didn't know about Varanian or the scars he now bore on his feet, they didn't know about the voice or the dreams or his wrist. It wasn't that easy to keep someone safe, it wasn't that easy to protect someone you loved, no matter how badly you wanted it. He wished his parents were right, he wished he was safe.

He didn't want to even attempt going back to sleep so the Malfoys gathered for breakfast instead, it was one of the rare occasions when they were still in their nightclothes. With the exception of Lucius, his grandfather was wearing the same clothes as yesterday and looked lost in his own concerns, he didn't even seem to be paying attention to the rest of them and spend the meal pushing food around his plate rather than eating. His grandmother did the most talking, trying to put the nightmare behind them by attempting to get them excited for Christmas instead. He zoned out after awhile.

Scorpius couldn't get the dream off of his mind though, he even found himself considering whether maybe - _maybe_ - there was a very - _very_ - slight distant possibility that it might possibly not be a dream. He still didn't think it was real, he didn't want it to be real, if it was then he was the worst person in the world for ignoring the boy's situation. But it couldn't be real, it was just muggles who had taken him and no one had strange colorless skin like the boy had. There was a really easy to find out though.

"Can I ask you something?" Scorpius spoke up and his grandmother stopped mid-sentence as all eyes turned on him, even his grandfather stopped staring into space to glance at him.

"Of course," his mother pointed out gently and Scorpius stared down at his plate. He didn't want to ask. But he had to, it was the right thing to do.

"You know... You know the muggles who..." Scorpius started to ask and swallowed nervously, it was hard to get the words out, "the ones who... the ones..."

"We know who you mean," his father said quickly.

"What happened to them? You told me they were locked up."

"They are, one of them died and the others are in jail."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course! Do you think we would rest while the bas- the_ filth, _they don't even deserve to be called people, who hurt you walked free?" his father pointed out looking angry, was he angry at Scorpius? "the man who found you assured us of their arrest, we paid him extra to see to it."

"Yes," his mother confirmed with a nod and reached over to squeeze his hand comfortingly, looking him directly in the eyes as she spoke, there wasn't a flicker of dishonesty in them, "they're locked up, they'll never hurt you again, they'll never get out... is that what your nightmare was about? You're scared they'll come after you again?"

"I..." Scorpius began, there was no way he could tell them the exact truth, "I was scared they'd hurt someone else. In my dreams another boy was prisoner."

"Mother of Merlin! His wrist!" his grandfather exclaimed randomly and looked at him horrified, "what did the boy look like?!"

"What?"

"In your dream, what did the child look like?" his grandfather questioned and everyone looked confused, not seeing how it mattered but his grandfather slammed his fist down on the table so hard everything on it jumped in the air, Scorpius flinched, "tell me what he looked like!"

"I... I don't know, I was just looking through his eyes."

"Then how did you know it wasn't just your memories?!"

"I don't think it matters," his father growled.

"His voice was different and he had weird skin... it was like colorless," Scorpius answered awkwardly and confused, his grandfather looked like he was going to be sick.

"I have to go."

His grandfather got up and stormed out before any of them could react, leaving immense confusion in his wake. Scorpius did feel a sliver of relief though, despite his grandfather's bizarre reaction, his parents seemed so sure that the muggles had got punishment and he believed them. It meant there was no way Joel or Linden could have kidnapped and abused the boy in his dreams, no way they could have been involved with the wizards, no way the dreams could be real. They were just dreams, extremely disturbing dreams. He kept expecting the voice to correct him, complain and insist it was real but it didn't, it didn't say anything.

All in all, Christmas Eve was a weird day. He still felt shaken despite his best efforts to not be, he had a strange disconnected feeling and felt more alone than he had in his life. He missed having things to do to stop him from dwelling on things, in school he was busy with lessons, studying, Quidditch practice or detentions but at home there were only idle hours. He jumped at the chance to get his grandfather from his study when dinner was ready, Lucius had been in there all day since breakfast.

"Dammit! I know you can hear me! I _know_ you can!" his grandfather was yelling and Scorpius heard something smash, "stop ignoring me! I want answers or I won't do anything else! Answer me! Appear! Brutus!"

"Err... grandfather?" Scorpius called as he rapped politely on the door before peeking in, wondering who in the world his grandfather had been talking to. Lucius Malfoy was alone. Scorpius glanced around and saw no one, no one but his grandfather and the shattered glass that looked like he'd thrown against the wall, "dinner's ready."

"Ah of course. I was just... yelling at one of the house-elves," his grandfather lied unconvincingly, "you just missed him."

"Which house-elf?"

"How am I supposed to know? Let's just go to dinner."

"Do you hear voices too?"

"No! I told you, it was a house-elf," his grandfather barked as they started walking to the dining room, Scorpius knew it couldn't have been a house-elf because they'd been making the dinner and bringing it out, "wait, what do you mean too?"

"How am I supposed to know? Let's just go to dinner," Scorpius repeated his grandfather's words and the man fell silent but didn't look happy. They never spoke of it again.

Scorpius did add wondering about his grandfather's sanity to his long list of worries though, he lay awake that night wondering whether insanity was genetic. He had an uneasy night when he finally did fall asleep, he had no dreams but he kept waking up with a strangely empty feeling and a pain in his scar. He was relieved when Christmas morning finally came.

* * *

Albus usually fought with Lily to see who would be the first one up on Christmas but he was actually the last Potter up that Christmas, he overslept as he'd had trouble sleeping and only woke up when he did because of Lily waking him in desperation to open her presents - they didn't begin until everyone was awake. He sleepily went downstairs but woke up a bit, feeling a pang of excitement when he saw his stack of presents. James was pleased to finally be able to open his presents even though their mum chastised Lily for waking up her brother, it took Albus a few minutes to realize that his dad wasn't there.

"Where's dad?" Albus wondered and everyone's face fell slightly.

"He has to work," Lily complained moodily as she plopped herself down beside her own pile of presents, "he always has to work."

"Lily, his job is very important," their mum pointed out, "he's busy keeping the world safe from the Shadows. He says to go on and open your presents without him, he said he'd try to be back this morning but if not then he'd meet us at your grandparents' for Christmas dinner. He will be there."

"I just wish we were important too," Lily sighed but only Albus and James were close enough to hear it.

It felt weird to open his presents without his dad, it took the wind out of his sails so to speak but he felt immediately guilty for missing his dad when Michael was all alone. All alone with a psycho who would murder him if they said anything. He hoped Michael was okay. He supposed in one way it was good his dad wasn't there so he could go for than a minute without fighting the urge to blurt out about Varanian, he hated keeping the secret but he hated the idea putting his friend's life at risk even more. He tried not to think about it as he got tore through his presents, he had a good haul that year and enough sweets to ensure Scorpius could keep his to himself for awhile. Assuming they survived the Christmas holidays. He felt another pang of guilt as he thought of Scorpius, he felt bad for how they'd left things and he wanted to apologize, he'd considered sending him a letter but it was something he thought should be said in person. He hoped Scorpius was okay too.

Lily seemed happy with her presents too and James was beaming at having gotten a Nimbus 3500 broom, he'd been begging for a new broom since Scorpius had beaten him to Seeker, he still insisted it was just the brooms and that Scorpius was a cheat. They'd just finished opening their presents when their mum brought in more, from their Hogwarts friends. James had a lot more than Albus but Albus was surprised to have any at all, Rose was his cousin so he'd opened her gift in the family pile, Michael had no money as he'd apologized excessively for not being able to get them anything, Scorpius had been at odds with him and he knew money was tight with Abby. Only one of them were from Abby, the rest of them were all from Scorpius. He felt even more guilty, he hadn't even gotten Scorpius a card and they'd been so mean to him but Scorpius had still gotten him presents.

He opened Abby's gift first and felt even worse, it was a framed picture of them after the pillow fight with feathers raining down everywhere, he _really_ wanted to apologize then as he moved onto Scorpius' gifts and left the largest until last. One was sweets and the other a huge box of fudge, not the cheap stuff either. He moved onto the huge, long thin one and gasped as he saw the misty white handle.

"Albus got a _Cloudcutter_?!" James burst out immediately, mouth hanging open and everyone gathered around Albus as he held the beautiful white broom, "why does Albus get a _Cloudcutter_?! He's not even on the team, he's a terrible flier! The _Cloudcutter_ is brand new, its way faster than the _Nimbus 3500_! Was there some kind of mix-up?!"

"No, the _Cloudcutter_ costs a fortune, we can't afford that. And the _Nimbus 3500_ is a brilliant broom, on the same level as the _Dart_. Who sent you that, Al?" his mother wondered admiring the broom.

"Scorpius did," Albus said staring at in amazement, he couldn't wait to try it out. Scorpius really shouldn't have spend so much on them though, he glanced at the picture with his friend in the center, giving him a genuine smile. Scorpius was just hard to figure out.

"That's not fair!" James exploded furiously, "he gave me a box of sweets, as if that'll make me forgive me for being a Malfoy and stealing my position! That slimy jerk barstard! Why didn't he get me a broom?! Its not like Al can even bring it to Hogwarts with him for a whole year."

"Language!" his mother snapped and James looked sulky.

James remained in a bad mood for the rest of the morning, even after Albus offered to let him try out the _Cloudcutter_ which James angrily declined. He, Lily and even their mother tried it out though, it flew like a dream and he decided to bring it with him to let his cousins also try it out - and he'd bet a few of his uncles and aunts would too - as they got ready to go to their grandparents for Christmas dinner. His dad still wasn't back though. After putting on his knitted sweater - his grandma always knitted everyone a sweater for Christmas and it was tradition to wear it for the huge family Christmas dinner - they flooed over and was smothered in kisses from his grandma, she hadn't seen him since the summer so he decided he didn't mind as much. He also got a warm hug from his grandfather and from Uncle Charlie, Uncle George, Aunt Angelina and his cousins Freddie and Roxy who were the only ones currently there. They happened to be a particularly Quidditch branch of the Weasley family tree and all marveled over his broom, taking it outside to try out - even the adults, as he'd predicted - and Uncle Ron, Aunt Hermione, Rose and Hugo arrived just as they'd made it out the door.

He ran to his Uncle Ron eagerly, he hadn't seen him since he'd gotten hurt and Albus noticed bandages peeking though his sleeves and shoulders. His movements seemed stiff and he winced in pain if he moved too much but he seemed in good spirits and was at least very much alive, Albus had been worried about him. Uncle Ron and Hugo also went outside to see the broom after they'd been hugged by everyone, although Uncle Ron couldn't try it due to the injuries he hadn't recovered from yet as Aunt Hermione felt the need to remind him. Hugo and Rose both tried it though, as long as Rose didn't look at the ground then she alright in the air.

"That _Cloudcutter_ is actually really impressive," Rose pointed out as she handed the broom over to hand.

"I know right? I'm amazed Scorpius got it for me," Albus exclaimed, "what did he get you?"

"Oh... I didn't open what he got me, I'm still mad at him. I was going to send them back unopened."

"You can't do that, that's really mean!" Albus protested and Rose looked away but didn't answer.

Hugo's feet had just touched the ground again when the next branch arrived; Uncle Bill, Aunt Fleur, Vic, Dom and Louis, along with Aunt Fleur's sister Gabrielle as well as Teddy and his grandmother Andromeda too who were honorary members of the Weasley/Potter clan. They weren't as eager about his broom, Dom had an aversion to flying and Andromeda, Uncle Bill and Aunt Fleur could take it or leave it. Vic and Teddy were both good fliers though, Teddy had been Quidditch captain in his time at Hogwarts but they seemed more interested in spending their time with the hands and faces glued to each other after saying hello, Louis went out to have a turn though. Albus was surprised that Uncle Percy's branch were the last to arrive - excluding his dad and Cel - as they were usually the most punctual, everyone was starting to come back inside when they finally arrived. They had gained a person though. Uncle Percy, Aunt Audrey, Molly, Lucy and a man that Albus recognized from Hogwarts as one of the professors for the elective subjects, he was pretty sure he was the one that Scorpius didn't like. He was quite obviously related to Aunt Audrey, they both shared the same shade of brown hair, the same muddy brown eyes and the same almost regal bearing. None of them looked happy.

"This is my twin brother, Aubrey Rivers," Aunt Audrey introduced him to them as they stepped out of the fireplace, "he's decided to join us for dinner."

"Are we eating here, Aud?" Aubrey Rivers wondered looking around with a look of disdain, "its rather cramped, isn't it? And messy. Shouldn't we eat at a restaurant. I know a great restaurant in the Wizarding segment of New York, they do the best Caviar that I've ever had in my life."

"Then go have Christmas there, Aubrey" Uncle Percy growled.

"Because by the state of this place I don't think you could afford it," Aubrey explained, seemingly completely oblivious to the fact that Uncle Percy had clearly meant for him to go alone, "maybe we should go back, I think the third robe I had on would suit the mismatched look of this place more than this one. What do you think, Aud?"

"I think you're fine as you are, Aub and if we go back then it'll be New Year's by the time you've decided on what to wear," Aunt Audrey answered looking exasperated, "you already made us this late. Honestly, you're worse than Mother."

"Well Mother was right, you should always respectable. Do you want your in-laws to show up looking better than you? Then you'll lose face and they'll think they're better than you, they'll look down on you. You don't want riffraff to look down on you, Aud."

"You realize everyone can hear you talking?"

"So?"

"So at least_ try_ to be polite!" Aunt Audrey hissed and stalked away from her brother, Aubrey blinked a few times as if she'd said spoken in another language.

"I do apologize for my sister, she's in a really bad mood."

"I wonder why," Uncle Percy muttered under his breath but Aubrey still heard and again seemed to miss the true meaning, mistaking sarcasm for a genuine question.

"I think its her time of the month. I wish someone would invent a spell to stop that, its very tedious having to deal with women during it, its exhausting for me."

"What does that mean, Uncle Aubrey?" Lucy questioned looking up at him with a frown, "mother isn't a werewolf, is she?"

"No, she's just a woman."

"No, of course she's not a werewolf," Uncle Percy choked on the words and glared at Aubrey who didn't seem to notice, "let's all go sit down for dinner."

Albus was starting to understand why the Arithimancy professor drove Scorpius mad and probably the real reason Aunt Audrey was in a bad mood, Uncle Percy and Molly looked exasperated and rolled their eyes virtually every time Aubrey spoke which was what everyone really started to do. The ten year old Lucy alone seemed to like him, hanging on his every word. Albus wished she wouldn't, it would only feed his ego and her questions gave him an opening to talk more. Dom actually had a go on the _Cloudcutter_ just as an excuse to get away from his never-ending stream of talking, made more annoying by the fact he seemed completely oblivious to when he was saying insulting things or when he was being insulted, Uncle George seemed to enjoy using sarcasm which went right over Aubrey's head. Albus offered to help out in the kitchen just to get away from him, a lot of his cousins offered to help in the kitchen just to get away from him too. His dad and Cel still weren't there by the time dinner was ready, they waited for a bit before being forced to start without them.

The kitchen and kitchen table had both been specially extended and things had been transfigured into extra chairs as there were thirty of them, on the side opposite to Albus was from left to right; Uncle Charlie, Uncle George, Aunt Angelina, Aunt Fleur, Uncle Bill, Andromeda, his mum, an empty seat - saved for his dad, Uncle Percy, Aunt Audrey, Aubrey, Lucy, Rose and Aunt Hermione. On Albus' side from left to right was; Roxy, Lily, Hugo, Louis, Freddie, James, Dom, Albus, Molly, an empty seat - saved for Cel, Aunt Gabrielle, Teddy, Vic and Uncle Ron. His grandmother was to sit at the far end of the table between Uncle Charlie and Roxy while his grandfather sat at the head of the table between Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron. Everyone was crammed together and it was chaos but it was family, he wouldn't have it any other way.

"Everyone's packed together like sardines, its worse than Hogwarts," Aubrey complained to his sister who looked like she wanted to kill him, "aren't we having lobster?"

"No, Aub," Aunt Audrey told him firmly, "there's turkey, ham and beef."

"But no lobster?"

"No lobster."

"Mother always made sure we had lobster on Christmas."

"Well there's no lobster here now."

"In Hogwarts that assistant always gets lobster especially for me."

"There's still no lobster here!"

"I know, Aud, I heard you the first time, there's no need to yell despite the noise. I'm sitting right beside you," Aubrey pointed out and eyed the food as if it might be poisoned, "I was just saying. The assistant isn't always great that, you know he refused to buy your presents for me? I complained to Varanian and do you know what he said? He said he'd fire me if I complained about the assistant again and that's not he's not my errand boy, would you believe that? He works the assistant half to death and yells at me for asking for one reasonable task, isn't that completely unfair?"

"Is that why you didn't get us any presents this year, Uncle Aubrey?" Lucy asked, the only person who was really interested in what Aubrey was saying.

"My gift to you this year is my time."

"You can't be serious?" Uncle Percy wondered after almost choking on his potato.

"Obviously, why else would I be here? It was Scorpius' idea actually, he was there when the assistant refused to do his job because he's the assistant's assistant. I was saying how ridiculous the whole thing is when my own twin sister won't spend Christmas with me so he said 'why not spend it with her family instead, it could be your gift to them because your time is so precious and they adore you and look up to you because you're so amazing and smart and talented and everyone is blessed to be around you.' So I said 'that's a brilliant idea, ten points for Gryffinclaw!' and he said 'Professor Rivers you're too generous, I would never have thought of it if not for your inspiring presence, you're my hero.'"

"Wow, Scor really said all that?" Molly muttered in disbelief as she twirled a new-looking charm bracelet on her wrist, clearly aware of Scorpius' feelings about the professor and Albus shared her doubt, as did from Rose if he went by the look on her face.

"Well I'm paraphrasing obviously but it was along those lines," Aubrey explained, nibbling a piece of food and putting it back on his plate, "Scorpius looks up to me, its exhausting being a role-model for so many students, you know?"

"We're here! Happy Christmas!"

A familiar voice announced and they looked up to see Harry Potter striding into the room with the handsome sandy-haired Cel behind him, the Potter children and Gabrielle immediately jumped up and ran to them. Gabrielle kissed her boyfriend passionately on the lips while Albus, James and Lily all threw their arms around their father, he laughed and hugged them tightly back. His dad kissed his mum in greeting before everyone went back to their seats, Aubrey eyed his dad stiffly as Audrey introduced.

"Harry Potter? The man who killed Voldemort?" Aubrey said and his dad hesitantly nodded, not liking the attention being a celebrity hero got him but Aubrey looked angry rather than impressed, "you don't think you could have killed him sooner?"

"What?" his dad wondered, taken aback by the question.

"Voldemort. Why didn't you kill him sooner?"

"Why didn't you kill him sooner?"

"Because I'm not the Chosen One. Death Eaters killed our parents because Father was a Seer and he refused to join them and if you had just killed Voldemort sooner then they'd still be alive so why didn't you?"

"Aub!" Aunt Audrey hissed glaring at her brother.

"What? It's a logical question."

"No its not, be glad he killed at him at all before Death Eaters killed you!"

"They couldn't kill me, I was in a different country."

"Yes because you took our family's money and ran off like a coward," Aunt Audrey spat bitterly, everyone else shifted uncomfortably at the change in conversation.

"If you wanted money then you should have asked for it before I left, clearly. And its not cowardly to want to leave a dangerous situation, its smart."

"You didn't even say you were leaving!"

"Because I didn't want Death Eaters to find out and kill me before I left, obviously. Haven't we been over this enough times?"

"It doesn't matter how many times we go over it, it doesn't change the fact that after our parents were killed, you took their money and abandoned me and Roman!"

"When you put it like that you make me sound like a bad person," Aubrey complained, "I thought you would have had the same idea as me and left, I was trying to set up somewhere for us to live for when you and Roman came. You never did though."

"How did you expect us to go to a different country when you'd taken _all_ of the money that we had?!"

"Why am I supposed to do think of everything? I thought you would be smart enough to think of something, Aud, you're not as smart as me, clearly, but that doesn't mean you're stupid."

"You're unbelievable!"

* * *

_**Author's Note: **Have to split this chapter again so sorry. Also would it be terribly confusing if I changed the name of this story? I made the new cover art and uploaded yesterday but I was concerned about changing the name of the fic to match would be potentially confusing or waiting until its finished to change it**  
**_

_Okay to **SDF**: thank you for your super long review! In answer to your questions about people noticing the delay, yes people did notice but like Scorpius explained it to his parents so did everyone else so its not like there's random delays with no reason, they know Varanian's cover story (Hermione included). Also they think Harry wouldn't wait, they can't not arrest someone because of a threat and waiting until term starts again would be worse because Varanian would have even more potential victims  
_

_**Thanks to: **Lucifersdaughter, Winged-panther1, Diddleymaz and SDF for reviewing!_


	60. I: The Last Christmas

_**Author's Note: **Sorry this took so long again, I actually wrote a lot because originally I wanted to show Scorpius' friends Christmases as well as Calderon's and get to the next chapter quick because dying to write it and I did spend hours writing it but it was too long so I decided to cut them because I am cutting bits out to make it shorter and there's nothing super majorly important or that can't wait. I promise its actually nearly finished, after the holidays there's only one major event and a handful of minors before the finale so the second half of the year will go faster_

_**To Lucifersdaughter:** I will get to how Calderon and Varanian know each other soon, I keep putting it off but I will get to it and yes Lucius was concerned about Scorpius hearing voices but he was afraid to say anything, especially as they were about to join the other Malfoys and he thinks if Scorpius is hearing voices and his parents find out then they'll keep him back from Hogwarts and Lucius doesn't want that_

_**Thanks to:** Lucifersdaugther and Guest for reviewing!_

* * *

"So... how's work?" Uncle Ron asked of Uncle Harry and Cel as an awkward silence descended on Albus' half of the table after Aunt Audrey and Aubrey's argument, he wished he'd sat on the other half.

"Hectic," his dad sighed, "still dealing with the aftermath of the most recent Shadow attack. We think they used some kind of magic bomb, the area was devastated by the blast. It was in a muggle area though, their symbol and message were seen by over twenty muggles so we had to erase their memories. Except this one woman who claimed to be married to a wizard, she was furious that we were erasing memories and I wasted an hour in a debate on the morality of what we were doing."

"Should have just erased her memory too," Uncle Ron offered jokingly.

"That's not very moralistic, is it?" Aubrey pointed out seriously.

"It was a joke."

"Oh. Well its not a very good joke, is it? And evil lunatics attacking people isn't a topic to be joked about anyway, you think you would understand since you were attacked, it was in the paper and everything. Why haven't you caught the Shadow Master yet anyway? Or any of the Shadows for that matter? They're dangerous and they should be stopped, isn't it your job to stop them? Are you even trying?"

"Aubrey!" Aunt Audrey hissed, "stop being rude or they'll throw us out and I will kill you."

"How could that possibly be construed as rude? How can anything I've said possibly be construed as rude?" Aubrey wondered looking genuinely bemused, "now threatening to kill me, that is rude but I forgive you because I understand you can't help it at the moment."

"I'd like to see you just try to stop the Shadows, its not actually that easy," Cel stated giving Aubrey a dark look, "and since I've been temporarily taking over from Ron as Deputy Head Auror, believe me I know, its exhausting - I can't wait for you to come back, Ron! - but at least we finally got the new security plan in place for Azkaban though, can actually sleep tonight."

"If you're home tonight then we won't be doing much sleeping, mon amour," Aunt Gabrielle said with a wink and Cel managed to blush and grin at the same time in response, the meaning was lost on Albus before the healer became serious again, "and Ron won't be well enough to return until the new year. And no strenuous physical activity still for a few more months or apparating or dueling Shadows until you've recovered fully which will take several weeks to months at least, we're not sure. So you will probably still be working extra for awhile, unfortunately."

"Well that sucks."

"I'm sure you're doing a great job," Uncle Ron offered comfortingly and Cel blushed again as he mumbled a reply.

"I'm just trying my best."

"He is doing excellently," his dad pointed out beaming.

"You know, I've been thinking," Teddy spoke up and eyes turned on the metamorphmagi as he brushed back his currently longish forest green hair and cleared his throat, "about my career a lot recently."

"I didn't realize there was a lot to think about being a waiter," Uncle Ron offered jokingly and Aunt Hermione gave him a shush-this-is-serious-look and he went quiet.

"I want to be an Auror."

"Have you really thought about it?" his dad said with a suddenly deathly serious expression, "the world is kind of... in a bad place right now, its not an easy profession, its difficult and dangerous."

"I've been thinking about it since I was a toddler and even more seriously since I graduated and the state of the world with the Shadows has just made me even more sure that its what I want to do, it feels right. I want to make a difference, I want to help, I want to do something worthwhile."

"Well if its what you really want to do... then I support you completely. But we don't usually take on applicants until the summer so you'll have to wait until then to apply, I'm afraid."

"I know. I just thought I'd say it now so its not like we're springing it on you this summer," Teddy explained and a relieved smile showed on his face, Albus thought he'd probably been nervous of how everyone would react but those nearest were offering their support and best wishes.

"Wait, what do you mean by _we_?" Aunt Hermione pointed after a minute and Teddy exchanged a look with Vic.

"If my grades are good enough then I'm going to apply too," Victoire announced firmly but her blue eyes held a hint of nervousness, "I really want to be an Auror, that's why my studies are so important and why I gave up Quidditch."

"Ugh, you're both insane if you ask me," Aubrey spoke up and Albus saw Aunt Audrey roll her eyes, "why pick a career with a guaranteed death at the end of it?"

"Why pick a career with a guaranteed class of unruly children?" Dom countered deadpan.

"I know its incredibly tedious but as a highly intelligent, talented and great wizard, its my duty to the world to pass along that knowledge to the next generation lest they be unable to cope after my eventual untimely death."

"What do you teach again?" James wondered, catching the tail end of their conversation.

"Arithimancy."

"I know what subject I'm _not_ taking next year," James whispered with a smirk but Aubrey was too far away to hear and had already veered off into another tangent.

"You know two of the staff used to be Aurors? Longbottom and Ashain. And you know Varanian wants to be an Auror?"

"I know," his dad complained with a sigh, "he's applied to be an Auror every year since the Battle of Hogwarts. I have to reject him every time but he still comes back. Except this year actually, didn't hear from him all summer. Maybe he's finally given up?"

"Why does he get rejected?" Rose asked curiously.

"He's not healthy enough, physically or mentally. Perfect aside from that really. Actually if he applies this year I might take him because he's not badly unhealthy unless he's gotten drastically worse or something, we need as many as we can get with the Shadow threat."

"I don't like him," Aubrey stated sulkily and for once Albus agreed with him, "he never remembers my name, he remembers all the older teacher's names and Ashain. He remembers Ashain's name and he only started this year, although in that case it might be because he really hates Ashain for some reason. You think they'd get along because they have so much in common, both are pure-bloods, both married into muggle families, both like that silly broomstick game and were on their house teams in Hogwarts, both of them wanted to be Aurors at some point in their lives, Varanian's only a few years older than Ashain and I don't like either of them. You know Varanian called me Oceans last time he saw me? Can you believe that? He either calls me by the wrong name or asks that assistant - I forget his name - what my name is, do you know how degrading it is to constantly not have your name remembered? I deserve more respect than that, don't you think?"

"I think its ironic you complain about having your name forgotten but forget the assistant's," Dom commented under her breath and Albus inclined his head in agreement.

"And Varanian probably can't be an Auror if he's incapable of remembering one name plus his health isn't good, he gets headaches all the time these days and he had a random illness for weeks. No one could figure out what was wrong with him and then he randomly got better, he was in such a bad state and then he just recovers. It was awful for me while he was ill, he couldn't be bothered to hide his gross burn scars and I had to look at them. How could he be so selfish? Its disgusting, his hands didn't even have fingernails."

"I don't think he can really help that he looks like that," Aunt Audrey pointed out tiredly.

"Yes he can, he's a metamorphmagi, he has different hair every meal. People with scars are disgusting, they can at least try to hide them."

"You have a scar on your hip!"

"And I'm hiding it."

"My father has scars on his face because he was attacked, he is a brave man," Vic spoke up irritably, "does that disgust you?"

"Obviously, yes."

"Aub!" Aunt Audrey hissed and her brother looked bemused again.

"What? You can't think that's rude too? _You're_ unbelievable, Aud," Aubrey commented, seemingly oblivious to the fact everyone nearby was glaring at him, even Lucy who like all of them liked Uncle Bill but he started talking again before anyone could reply, "oh and speaking of unbelievable, did you know Roman has a _deaf_ son and he lives in France?"

"_What?!_"

"Yes, Maurice. He's friends with Hagrid's kid and they're both staying at Hogwarts, a freaky child, he uses this necklace to translate but it only works if he's touching it. You know Hagrid talks about his kid all the time, its so annoying, like I care abou-"

"You've been staying with us nearly a week and you only think to mention this now?!" Aunt Audrey interrupted to which Aubrey scowled, "I've been trying to get in contact with Roman since he left or at least find out what happened to him, I would like to see my youngest brother again at least once before I die."

"I wasn't finished speaking, interrupting is definitely rude. And it kept slipping my mind, its not like I enjoy thinking about a freaky child who can't hear. Did I mention he's deaf? No wonder Roman left, the shame of having a child whose deaf. Not as bad as having a squib mind but still bad to have something like that wrong with you, although I dated this blind gypsy witch once despite the fact she was blind. I actually really liked her, even though she was blind and I wasted two years of my life with her but eventually I realized that I couldn't keep dating her without marrying her but I couldn't sully the blood-line by marrying someone who was blind, Mother would roll in her grave if she knew I'd even considered it! So I had to let her go and she was very upset and would you believe, she _cursed_ me! When I actually felt bad, you'd think she would have understood like any decent person would. Said that I would lost everything and everyone born into my family would have something wrong with them, that everyone would suffer and die until there was no one left or I stopped being blind."

"What has that got to do with anything?!"

"Nothing really, thinking about deafness made me think of her and it. It wasn't a real curse, don't worry, Molly and Lucy are perfectly healthy and there's nothing unfortunate about our lives and I'm not blind, I have perfect vision. I wouldn't really do anything to endanger you or your girls, I love you."

"We are going to talk about this when we get home. In _great_ detail," Aunt Audrey said darkly and Albus noticed both her and Uncle Percy glance at Lucy strangely when Aubrey had mentioned her.

"You're quiet today, Al," his dad started up a conversation with him and the people nearby looked to him, Albus had really just been listening to everyone else, he felt guilty when he talked because he felt as though he _should_ be telling on Varanian although he couldn't bring himself to risk Michael, it didn't change the feeling that protecting Varanian was wrong. He felt like a coward for being so terrified of Varanian, his parents would be ashamed of him if they knew, "something on your mind?"

"Err... just thinking about my friend Michael, I feel bad that I'm here surrounded by family and he's all alone in Hogwarts," Albus answered finally, it wasn't a lie.

"Dragon-breath is still at Hogwarts?" James sneered, "is he really that much of a loser that his own family don't give a damn about him?"

"That's not nice, James!" his mum snapped firmly and his dad's expression darkened, "we don't talk about people like that- wait, isn't Michael the name of the boy that you attacked?!"

"You make it sound like I'm the bad guy here, its not _my_ fault that Dragon-breath got in the way of my spell against the Malfoy."

"You shouldn't be attacking first years at all! It doesn't matter if they're Malfoys or not."

"He _attacked_ me! The psycho was going to drop me from the top of the grand staircase! Why don't you care about that?!"

"Of course we care!" his dad exclaimed glowering, "Scorpius Malfoy was wrong to do that and he deserved to be punished but that doesn't change the fact that you were _just_ as bad for attacking him in the first place! And you're the one who started it, people tend to react if you attack them."

"I didn't nearly kill anyone though!"

"You put Michael in the hospital for three _whole_ weeks!" Albus burst out, surprising himself but thinking about it made him angry, "_three! _He was suffering and he still wasn't a hundred percent okay when he got out!"

"Well its his own fault for hanging around that psycho! He deserved it! And I'm glad he's alone, I hope he's miserable! It'll teach him to befriend the wrong sort of people!"

"JAMES!" his dad yelled and James looked surprised by the anger, "no one deserves to be bullied! And no one deserves to be alone and miserable and certainly not an eleven year old child whose done _nothing_ wrong! Show some compassion! I had enough miserable Christmases as a child with the Dursleys to know what it feels like and I know that no child deserves anything like that, no child of mine will wish that upon anyone!"

"I can't believe you're not siding with me again! I'm your son and Dragon-breath is friends with-"

"You're grounded!"

"But its Christmas! You're supposed to be nice on Christmas!"

"Well you weren't being very nice, were you?" his dad pointed out and James sulkily went back to his food, his dad turned back to Albus, "if he has nowhere to go next year then your friend is more than welcome to stay with us if he'd like, there's plenty of room at Grimmauld Place."

"Why didn't we think of that?!" Rose exclaimed slapping her forehead in frustration and Albus glumly realized she was right, none of them had thought to ask if Michael could spend Christmas with them, then he would be safe from Varanian. Albus felt like an idiot.

"If Al gets a friend to stay over, I should get a friend to stay over," James muttered irritably under his breath.

"Wait, you're friends with Scorpius Malfoy?" Aunt Gabrielle wondered.

"Yep," Molly said brightly with a smile as she flashed her charm bracelet, sometimes Albus forgot Scorpius was also friends with his cousin although he wasn't sure how when Scorpius mentioned her name every other sentence when he was talking about Quidditch practice, "he got me this, isn't it awesome? The charm is Hopper, even with the missing toe!"

"Charm bracelets are just silly little trinkets, they're worthless," Aunt Audrey pointed out glowering and Molly rolled her eyes and lost her smile, "I've told you a thousand times, Molly, honestly sometimes its like you purposely do the opposite of what your father and I say."

"Well we're not friends with him anymore, we fell out," Rose stated stiffly deciding to ignore what Aunt Audrey had said.

"Speak for yourself," Albus countered.

"I didn't know you guys had fallen out, what happened?" Molly asked looking concerned.

"He is just... too secretive," Rose offered awkwardly, trying to explain without mentioning Varanian's name and looked at Albus desperately for help, "he wouldn't tell us things."

"Yeah... like how he got that scar on his wrist or what happened on the train," Albus improvised and Aunt Gabrielle looked suddenly angry.

"You shouldn't be so hard on him about his wrist," Aunt Gabrielle hissed and looked between them, "I'm surprised at you two, I thought you'd be more considerate of someone else's situation. Did you ever think maybe its difficult for him to talk about? That he went through something horrible to get the scar and its hard for him? Its got to be hard for him to trust people after what happened."

"That's why I feel bad and I'm going to apologize," Albus said seriously and Rose's wavering expression seemed to indicate that hadn't dawned on her.

"Did you ever find out why it couldn't be healed?" Aunt Hermione asked.

"No," Aunt Gabrielle with a shake of her head, "I have no idea why, I healed the rest of his injures without issue, they weren't magical and caused by muggles. It was the first time I had to heal a child from those kinds of injuries though, it makes me sick that people could do that to a little boy."

"I think it makes everyone sick," his dad said quietly and Albus bit his tongue to stop himself from asking what they were talking about, what had happened to Scorpius? The adults lowered their voices even more but Albus strained to hear them, as did Molly and Rose who both stopped touching their food but continued staring at their plates to be inconspicuous like he did.

"And you know according to the man who found him, he'd been taken two weeks before his tenth birthday, just like that boy in the papers. Do you think its connected?"

"I don't know, its not my department... it is probably just a coincidence. Why would muggles abduct two nine year wizard children exactly two weeks before their tenth birthdays? I don't think Scorpius and the other boy are connected anyway, last I heard they were investigating the other boy's biological father as the abductor because the parents are split up."

"What are we talking about?" Aubrey spoke up nosily, stopping mid-sentence from something he'd been talking about with Cel, "what happened to Scorpius?"

"Nothing," his dad lied.

"But you were just saying-"

"Hey Aubrey, I think I get why the assistant laughed at you," Cel interrupted and pointed at the professor's head, "you have a gray hair."

"What?!" Aubrey shrieked in panic, "where?!"

"On your head, just like there."

"What here?" Aubrey wondered, grasping vaguely at where Cel had just gestured but Albus didn't see anything but thick brown locks.

"No, more like to the left there."

"Here?!"

"No, the other - Oh wait," Cel paused to laugh, "I'm sorry, there's more than one. Wow, guess age really hits you when you get to fifty!"

"I'm forty!"

"There's no need to lie about your age, we're all family here. You don't look that bad for fifty."

"But I'm only forty!"

"Oh... well... I'm sorry," Cel offered in a more serious tone, Aubrey looked on the verge of tears, "the grays make you look really... mature."

"I-I have to go to the bathroom, there is a mirror, right?" Aubrey said jumping to his feet and Cel nodded, trying very hard to suppress a smirk before the professor ran off like his hair was on fire.

"I didn't see any grays," Aunt Gabrielle pointed out frowning in confusion, "and he doesn't look close to fifty."

"I know," Cel pointed out with a grin, "but it got rid of him didn't it?"

"That's brilliant!" Uncle Ron laughed and offered Cel a high five that he took, Albus joined the nearby people in laughing, Cel was awesome. Everyone looked amused except Aunt Audrey.

"That was mean," Aunt Audrey complained.

"Oh lighten up, Audrey, he was driving everyone mad."

"Madder," Cel added as he got to his feet, Aunt Gabrielle was positively glowing as she jumped up beside him, "and I wanted him gone for our announcement."

"Announcement? You didn't get her pregnant, did you?"

"You say it like its a bad thing, congratulations!" Vic offered brightly, "you'll have such beautiful children."

"She's not pregnant! You Weasleys are so impatient," Cel complained with a half-hearted roll of his eyes but his smile didn't waver while Gabrielle banged a glass to bring the table to silence, his dad alone didn't look surprised but pleased nonetheless as if he was in on their news, "as you all know, I have been dating this wonderful woman for awhile now-"

"Ten years," Lucy interrupted eagerly, "you started dating when I was born."

"Yes Lucy, ten years now and-"

"You didn't get her pregnant did you?!" Aunt Fleur burst out and Uncle Ron chuckled at the exasperated look on Cel's face.

"No! Now if you would let me finish my sent-"

"We're engaged!" Aunt Gabrielle exclaimed before he could and a deafening cheer broke out across the table from the assembled Potter/Weasley clan, the happy couple beamed.

Christmas was much more like Christmas after that. It had lifted the cloud of gloom that Aubrey had brought. Everyone was standing up to congratulate Cel and Gabrielle, shaking hands and hugging then forgetting they'd already gone and shaking hands and hugging again. Gabrielle was showing off the ring and everyone was excitedly talking about wedding plans and joking about him becoming Uncle Cel to the assorted cousins, Cel didn't mind as long as it wasn't Uncle Celestine, if you wanted to make him angry then you needed only call him by his full name. Albus was as happy as the rest of them, he liked Aunt Gabrielle and Cel was practically family anyway - he and Aunt Gabrielle had been living together for more than half the time they'd been together - but he was delighted at it being more official. He glanced in Teddy and Vic's direction, if there was wedding bells in their future then they'd really all be official family in some way or the other.

After the meal they bounded outside for a huge clan snowball fight and games of Quidditch - minus some of the adults and Lucy - who Aunt Audrey refused to even let touch a broom, she never had despite Molly being allowed at her age. Albus brushed it off - Aunt Audrey really didn't like broomsticks or Quidditch, she was really a severe woman and was probably afraid Lucy would like flying like Molly - and sped off into the air on his brand new _Cloudcutter_, his thoughts went back to Scorpius and the mystery of his past. He really did feel bad and he really was going to apologize, for then though he was going to try to enjoy the rest of Christmas and he hoped his friends could too.

* * *

Christmas was enjoyable in the end for Scorpius, it wasn't the same boundless enthusiasm and excitement as he'd had when he was younger but it was good to spend time with his family. It was a calmer Christmas, he didn't rush into his parents bedroom at the crack of dawn out of his mind with excitement, in fact by the time he reluctantly went downstairs his parents and grandparents were already down there waiting for him. In fact from the look of exhaustion of Lucius Malfoys face, Scorpius wondered if he'd slept at all, unlike the others he was fully dressed too and didn't join the others in smiling.

He was actually more excited to see his family opening their gifts than his own, although his own presents were good and he was surprised to get a gift from Abby - the only one of his friends to send him so much as a card aside from Molly - which was a framed photograph of the five of them after the pillow fight. He'd actually got quite a few cards not from his friends though, everyone on the Quidditch team - minus James - had gotten him a card and most of the reserve team too, several of the staff had - including weirdly enough, Rivers - had also gotten him cards and he'd received a huge card from the Hogwarts house-elves, every last one managing to scrawl their individual name, it made him smile. Calderon had sent him a card too and wrote 'Scor' on it and that made him smile too, he'd never seen his nickname written down before.

He spend most of the morning breaking in his new Wizard Chess set, playing with the Librarian, Professor Ashain and Calderon had actually improved his skills greatly and he found himself winning more often then not, he even started teaching Yip to play despite his grandfather's growl of disapproval. After morning his Aunt Daphne turned up to spend Christmas with them, she was the only family he had on his Greengrass side as his Greengrass grandmother had died before he was born and his grandfather had died when he was younger, his mother didn't like her sister to spend the holiday all alone. Scorpius didn't mind, he liked his Aunt Daphne - even though she proved to be a terrible Chess player, considering how hard to beat his mother was - it also gave him the opportunity to ask about the letter but she didn't know anything else than what she'd said, like most of her jobs it hadn't lasted long because she had a habit of not staying sober long enough to work to their standards.

They had dinner together and Scorpius thought that they seemed much more relaxed, much more themselves rather than just putting on a happy front for his sake. He was glad for that. Except for his grandfather who looked extremely worried and picked at the food but he did make an effort to be a part of the festivities regardless, which was odd because usually he did nothing but complain about the festivities. After desert, Aunt Daphne insisted on seeing him fly and they all ended up in the air eventually - even his grandfather, trying to dodge the falling snow and Aunt Daphne actually started a snowball fight_ in the air_.

Scorpius wasn't the best with his aim but was spectacular at dodging, weaving in and out like he was born in the air, although he thought that might just be because he was the smallest. He was having a great time, unofficially they'd paired up and were trying to win against the other pairs, hitting the others universally got you points although it was incredibly pointless. When it stopped snowing they landed but wound up carrying on on ground level and his mother - who was paired with him - started making a wall out of snow to duck behind, from that they managed to move on to making snowmen and snow-things in general although Scorpius wasn't entirely sure how but they were all just swept along - including his grandfather, for once. They made a variety of magical creatures and animals and his mother used a spell to bring them to life - temporarily, of course.

It was dark by then, Scorpius was half-frozen from the cold and half-exhausted from the effort - all of them were - but he was happy, he was actually happy. He didn't remember the last time they'd done something like that, it was stupid and ridiculous but it was with his family. There was nothing more to do then go inside and have something warm to drink, snuggle by the fire and bask in its warmth after saying goodbye to Aunt Daphne. His parents were snuggled up together smiling and laughing and even the occasional kiss, his grandmother looked like she'd fallen asleep in the armchair and Scorpius was sitting by his grandfather who surprised him by putting his arm around him.

"It was a good Christmas, wasn't it?" his grandfather whispered and Scorpius glanced at him briefly as he leaned back against him, even more surprised to see tears on the senior Malfoy's face.

"Yes," Scorpius said cautiously, he'd _never_ seen his grandfather cry and he felt himself hugged tighter, "it was. I'm surprised you took part."

"You never know when it'll be your last Christmas, Scorpius, we should make the most of the time we have with each other because you never know how long it'll last, how long we'll still have each other."

"I know," Scorpius mumbled as he thought of the horror of last Christmas.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"I'm just sorry."


	61. I: Fresh Wounds, Old Scars

It was mechanical by then. Get up at the crack of dawn. Get dressed. Get to the wards. Fall to your knees in the dirt. Put your hand on the ward. Say the words. Feel the pain. Watch the stone sink and become lost in the ground, like it was never there at all. Do it over and over until Varanian said to stop, for blood-replenishing potion or to go to a meal and then carry on again. Michael collapsed into bed every night, too exhausted to do anything else and glad of it because he'd never sleep past the pain otherwise, his body didn't have a chance to heal and the pain from the rune on his chest was agony. It was how it had been through the holidays, the only difference for Christmas was that Varanian hadn't supervised him and that night he'd stayed up to open the presents he'd gotten from his friends, it had cheered him up a bit.

It was New Year's Eve but Michael's day was no different than usual. He was going through the wards and Varanian was leaning against a tree nearby, arms folded and eyes closed as usual, he had a different hair style and color every time Michael looked at him. The sun was creeping dangerously low to the ground, the dusk was settled into the sky casting long shadows all around them, sometimes Michael could swear the shadows had eyes. He kept on going and didn't bother calling to Varanian when he was almost out of the headmaster's line of sight, he didn't want, need or really care where Varanian was.

As he put his hand down on another ward, he noticed something odd out of the corner of his eye. He was so used to seeing the wards with another spare to the right, on the edge of his vision was another blood-thirsty stone but not this time. He looked to the right and saw that there was no ward. There were no other wards anywhere that he could see, he gasped as a flicker of hope danced in his heart, was he on the last one?

"What is it?" Varanian questioned irritably, now a messy redhead as he strode into sight. His eyes widened when they reached him, his body jerked for moment and his hair turned black as the night and neatened itself as he raced over to him fell to his knees opposite grinning sinisterly, "the final ward..."

Varanian guided Michael's hand over the ward, he shivered at the coldness of the headmaster's hand but Varanian didn't seem to notice or care as he moved his hand away. Varanian's smile receded and he looked up, Michael realized he was waiting for him to say the spell. His eyes were so desperate.

"_I Ecifircas_," Michael whispered, silently cursing that the only magic he that easily to him was the blood runes.

For the final time he felt a jolt of pain, more excruciating than any of the others combined. He felt like the rune-scarred skin on his chest was being ripped off, he screamed as it burned and the felt more drained than ever as the final crimson pulse surged out of his hand and the final ward sank into the ground. The wards were complete.

"You can go now," Varanian said with a dismissive wave of his hand, "don't get in trouble in again."

"How did I get in trouble in the first place?" Michael wondered on the verge of tears, he already knew the answer but he was curious if Varanian remembered and still thought his actions were justified. The headmaster looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Hmm... You know I don't actually remember, its not important. Whatever it was, don't do it again."

Tears pricked his eyes and Michael hurried off, he was so worthless that Varanian didn't even remember what he'd done to deserve months of pain. And he was still in pain. His chest felt raw. Just the fabric of his sweater touching the wound was agony. He didn't care about dinner, he just wanted to get to his dormitory to take it off so it would stop hurting him.

"Watch where you're going, Gryffindor!" a voice called and Michael looked up just in time to see a burst of magic whizzing out of the end of an older Slytherin's wand to strike his ankles, he fell painfully to his knees and the Slytherin muttered something to one of his friends that sounded like 'what a loser' before they walked away snickering.

"I know I am," Michael whispered as tears leaked from his eyes.

"Aw did the ickle wickle baby dragon fall down?" a painfully familiar voice sneered, one of James Potter's friends, the fat one. He'd stayed over the holidays too and had seemed to make it his mission in life to make Michael's even more unbearable than it already was, "what'cha crying for, Dragon-breath?"

"Leave me alone," Michael said more firmly than he felt as he got to his feet and tried to walk away from the older boy grabbed his wrist, twisting it awkwardly to pull him close enough to bring his knee into Michael's injured chest. The wave of pain was incredible, he squeezed his eyes shut and tried to breath through it as the bully threw him onto the ground.

"I didn't say you could get up!"

"He doesn't need your permission," Calderon growled and the bully jumped surprisingly high into the air at the assistant's appearance from behind him.

The whole school was talking about Calderon and Professor Ashain getting attacked, the rumors varied drastically though, the fact Professor Ashain still had his arm in a sling made them think it was Shadows who'd attacked them while Corin had claimed that it was Dementors that got Calderon. The rumors ranged from a lone attacker with a pet Dementor to an army of Shadows and Dementors, as well as differing on which of the pair had been the one to fight them off, about half thought that it was obviously the former Auror who was now the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher while the other half thought Calderon with his impressive use of wandless and non-verbal magic was obvious, that he'd just obliterated everyone. A handful even thought that there had been no attackers, that Calderon had just gone mad and attacked Professor Ashain who had summoned a Dementor to defend himself. The bully was in the Calderon-obliterated-everyone camp.

His blue eyes bulged as he twirled to face the assistant who was leaning against the door-frame with his arms folded and an eyebrow raised. He looked a wreck, his usually neat hair was a mess and from the stubble it looked like he hadn't shaved - or slept, actually - in a few days. His unkempt appearance actually made him look more dangerous. He was also wearing a silver necklace of a dragon with gleaming golden eyes, that was new too. The bully was sweating profusely and shifting nervously.

"I'm sorry, I was just... err... joking," the bully stammered awkwardly.

"Michael doesn't appear to be laughing," Calderon pointed out.

"He was err... just err... I err..."

"Bullying first years and then_ lying_ about it, tut-tut. Why do you do these things, Carver?"

"I don't know. Its fun and he deserves it for being friends with..." Carver trailed off as he seemed to realize that Scorpius wasn't going to be an acceptable justification for Calderon and he was actually just digging himself a deeper hole.

"Well you've just earned yourself another month's worth of detentions, starting when term does. Cruelty isn't fun. And you lose twenty-eight points from Gryffindor," Calderon scolded him and Carver clenched his chubby fists as he hung his head, "and your mother will be informed of you bullying... again. Now be off with you"

"Not like she'll care with the new baby anyway," Carver muttered under his breath.

Carver didn't need telling twice though, Michael watched as he turned and walked away as fast as his legs could carry him. Michael turned back and saw Calderon offering him a hand up, he took it gratefully and noticed the same rune symbol scarred into the palm of the hand just like his friends had said. He wondered if it had hurt Calderon as much to get it as it hurt him to get the one on his chest.

"Are you alright?" Calderon asked gently and Michael forced a smile as he nodded.

"Yeah I'm fine, thanks," Michael lied and hurriedly wiped his eyes, "are you?"

"Sure," Calderon said with a dismissive wave of his hand and a smile that didn't reach his eyes anymore than Michael's had, "are you sure you're okay? Is anyone else giving you trouble?"

"No, I just... miss my friends and family, you know?"

"Yeah," Calderon nodded and a ball of blue light appeared, he flicked his wrist at it and it started morphing into random patterns.

"I wish I could do magic like that," Michael sighed, why was magic easy for everyone but him? He jumped as Calderon laughed, his laugh a much higher pitch than his voice.

"No you don't. Its very difficult to channel magic outside of your body without a wand, but that's a good thing."

"Why is it a good thing?"

"Because you can only handle so much magic at a time, your body can only physically cope with so much power surging through you. I think that's one of the reasons why its so difficult to use wandless magic, your body doesn't want to be hurt from going overboard so it subconsciously defends itself by making magic hard to get out. I imagine it like the magic is a vast ocean and your body is a wall, usually the wall keeps it at bay but when you get a strong wave of emotion it can go over the wall because you still have this power inside you. When you learn to use a wand you subconsciously learn to keep the magic in check so it takes an even stronger wave of emotion to get the magic out. Deliberately forcing water over the safety wall is difficult and draining," Calderon explained gesturing at the blue light that became an ocean and a wall, demonstrating what he was saying as he spoke, "wands make it easier, they only channel the power inside you but they channel it safely, make sure you don't use a dangerous amount at a time. Kind of like putting a giant valve in the wall and the spells and movements of the wrist are really just ways of guiding the power into doing what you want it do, non-verbal spells are difficult because you're losing half your guidance so you have to concentrate harder to make up for it."

"Why can you do magic like you do so well then? If you don't mind me asking."

"I'm insane, aren't I? I don't think I have a wall, something snapped in my mind a long time ago. Any emotion and magic happens, I can't stop it but I've learned to control it. Its taken me sixteen years to get this level of control and it still all goes to pieces if I'm too emotional or not focusing enough. I have to be careful, its all too easy to lose control and accidentally hurt someone... not to mention without a wall its easy to use too much magic, my own power could easily destroy me. Last time I tried to use a wand it exploded so... that's not good. Believe me, you're better off as you are. You'll get the hang of it."

Calderon's smile was so genuine and sure that Michael couldn't bring himself to disagree, even though he _knew_ he wouldn't get the hang of it. He was a stupid. And a failure. And he couldn't do anything right. Just like his stepdad, Bob, had always said. Sometimes he thought that Nott was right, they had made a mistake and he wasn't even a wizard in the first place. He struggled as much with the written work as he had in regular muggle school, he could understand something perfectly but the words got muddled when he tried to get them on the page and came out wrong, it was frustrating. He struggled with the practical work too, he was as bad as Scorpius was good with spells, the only exception was Defense Against the Dark Arts and that was just because Professor Ashain would help him if he was behind. He had yet to have a flying lesson where he didn't crash or fall off his broom at least once.

Still he thought Calderon right, no power was better than too much so he no one would be hurt accidentally. Michael didn't want to hurt anyone, not Carver, not Nott, not the other bullies, not Bob, not even Varanian. The last thing the world needed was more people inflicting pain, there was enough suffering in the world without making it worse. Revenge was pointless anyway, hurting someone who'd hurt you wouldn't change what they'd done or lessen your pain in anyway, it just made you as bad as they were.

"Marius! There you are," Varanian's voice exclaimed and Michael flinched inwardly, reminded of the burning pain on his chest. He glanced behind to see the headmaster coming over to them, he looked unusually cheerful still and Calderon lost his smile immediately, "I've been looking for you. The students will be back the day after tomorrow and there's a ton of stuff to get done, stop moping like a child."

"I quit," Calderon commented and Varanian looked bemused but the assistant looked completely serious.

"You're not allowed to quit."

"I'm pretty sure people are allowed to leave their jobs."

"Fine," Varanian growled as his hair became a wild fiery red, his eyes bulging with anger and his voice became a cruel sneer, "but you have no money, no home, no family, no friends, no qualifications, no skills and no life. What were you going to do if you left Hogwarts?"

"Go die in a hole," Calderon pointed out hopelessly but seriously. Varanian opened and closed his mouth, took one look at Michael before grabbing the assistant's arm and pulling him into the room that Calderon had came from, which Michael realized was his room.

"You're being ridiculous, Marius."

"I don't want to hurt anyone else!" Calderon cried, he could still hear them from inside the room. Eavesdropping on other people's private conversations was wrong _but_ he wanted to hear. Maybe staying for a bit wasn't too bad?

"You won't!"

"You don't know that."

"Those people you killed were trying to _murder_ you! They deserved it! And it was an accident _and_ self-defense, the Aurors said so themselves and neither of you are even being charged. And all the injuries you caused Ashain have been healed, the only wound that wouldn't heal was his shattered shoulder blade and he claims that was caused by the attacker. I honestly don't get why its bothering you, get the hell over it already!"

"_You_ tried to murder me, does that mean you deserve to die?"

"No! That was different."

"How?"

"Stop changing the subject!" Varanian screamed and Michael heard what sounded like a whip cracking against skin, he almost ran to get help, wondering whether Calderon's life was in danger, "you're not leaving, do you hear me!? You do what _I_ say and _I_ say you're not to leave. You begged me not to fire Ashain for disobeying me and I put him on probation instead, if you leave I will fire him. And I will make those first years carry on with the wards even though the orb is gone. And I'll fire Hagrid too. And expel Scorpius. And you won't be able to do anything about it because outside of the safety of Hogwarts, the Shadows will have attacked you again and had their Dementors suck your soul away."

"I don't want to be evil," Calderon said, his voice breaking as he seemed to start to cry,"I don't want to hurt anyone, especially not people I care about and especially not children. Everyone's safer if I go away. Why are you so mean to me?"

"I was proving a point! You're upset and I just injured you but you didn't kill me, it proves you're safe to be around and won't hurt anyone so you don't have to quit. You're not evil."

"Since when?!"

"Since always! You're... a... a... you know, a..._ good_... person.

"Since when?"

"Since always!" Varanian snapped before seeming to realize his current tactic wasn't working, he lowered his voice and spoke in a gentler tone that Michael had to strain to hear, "you turned against those Death Eaters, you refused to do what they wanted even though they tortured you, you were just a teenager but you still stood against them and did everything you could to save my family because you're a good person at heart. Not many people would have done that. Why do you think I trust you despite you being the son of Death Eaters? You already proved yourself... I need you, Marius, please don't quit."

"What are you waiting for?" a new voice questioned and Michael jumped as Maurice tapped him on the shoulder, the deaf boy was without Corin for once and had his hand on his translator necklace although apparently it couldn't translate through doors and walls.

"Nothing," Michael said, taking that as his cue to stop eavesdropping and walk away. Maurice followed, "did you want something?"

"Can't we talk somewhere private and not walking?"

Michael sighed but nodded, motioning for Maurice to follow as he started to head back to his dormitory before realizing that probably wasn't the best idea, he didn't think you were supposed to bring non-Gryffindors into Gryffindor Tower. He detoured into an abandoned classroom, it should suffice for whatever the ten-year-old wanted to talk to him about. Maurice closed the door behind him and took out two books from the inside pockets of his robe, handing them to him before stepping back to place a hand back on his necklace.

"I just wanted to give you those to give back to Scorpius," Maurice explained, looking ever exhausted, "I was up all night finishing translating it for him but I did it. Maurice Rivers does not break his word. We're heading back first thing in the morning, first thing in the New Year so I wasn't sure if I'd see you and Scorpius isn't back to the day after so I miss him completely but you're friends so if you give those to him then I'd be grateful."

"Sure," Michael agreed and glanced at the books curiously, ice gripping his heart when he recognizing the rune from the wards on one of the books, "what... this is a book on blood runes, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"I didn't know Scorpius had a book on blood runes."

"He couldn't read it, it was in runic. He asked me to translate it for him because I read runic so I did, the translation's in the second book. Didn't he tell you that?"

"No... he didn't."

"Surprising. You seemed to recognize Tiwaz, actually from the way he color drained out of your face I wonder if one or both of you had been the Wardstone Sacrifices?"

"What?" Michael wondered blinking in surprise, did Maurice know about the wards? The deaf boy rolled his eyes at this and randomly went to punch him in the chest, only with his palm facing him. Michael gasped at the agony at the contact with the ward and staggered back, tripping backwards and falling. His breathing was jagged as he found to not cry out at the pain, when he opened his eyes again he saw Maurice was smirking.

"I thought so, take off your shirt."

"Why?"

"Because I want to see it," Maurice informed him as he whipped out his wand, Michael didn't move, "I know a few spells that could help with the pain and the healing."

Michael sighed and reluctantly pulled off his sweater, shivering at the coldness of the room as Maurice knelt in front of him and seemed to inspect the rune with interesting. Michael glanced down and winced at the bloody rune, it was the width of two fingers and about half as deep, it was caved that deeply into his skin. It wasn't small either, the bottom of the arrow went to his belly button and the tip went to the tip of his sternum. He could feel the blood still rolling down from the wound. He squeezed his eyes shut against the tears and leaned back against the wall, wondering if he was a bad person to wish he was anyone but himself.

"Why are you upset?" Maurice wondered after muttering a spell that dulled the pain, "you should feel honored."

"Honored?!" Michael burst out but forced himself to be calm, Maurice was only ten and he thought yelling would be lost on the deaf boy anyway, "it hurts a lot."

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, unless you're weak enough to let it destroy you," Maurice said darkly and abruptly let go of both his necklace and wand, pulling the gloves off his hands for the first time that Michael had seen, he yanked up his sleeves as he spoke. Michael's eyes widened in shock. Maurice's hands, wrists and forearm were _covered_ in scars that looked like words. Letters upon letters upon letters, words at every angle, different sizes all overlapping at varying depths into the boy's skin. He noticed another scar too, on the left wrist, it wrapped itself around completely identically to the middle one of Scorpius' scars. He looked back to the cold oceans in Maurice's eyes, "do you know what a blood quill is?"

* * *

_**Thanks to: **Lucifersdaughter, SDF and Diddleymaz for reviewing!_


	62. I: The Calm

_**Thanks to:** Aya Diefair, Diddleymaz and Lucifersdaughter for reviewing!_

_**Author's Note: **Soon the title of this story will he changing to _**Gray: Scorpius Malfoy and the Blood Runes_  
_**

_**To Aya Diefair:** The orb has nothing to do with the voice. As to why no one notices Lucius disappearing, partly because usually he's taken at night after the others have gone to sleep (and is back before they wake up) or when no one is home. Your magic is part of you straight to core, its part of your soul and ripping that out (and the Specters aren't exactly gentle) and its as damaging as ripping out an organ, even if you could survive without that organ then you're still lying there bleeding with a giant hole in you and no medical attention, does that answer your question? Yes the symbol is a modified/corrupted version of the Dark Mark, its important for the Shadow Master to retain a connection to Voldemort (such as having Soul Eaters rather than Death Eaters, similar but different) so the symbol is similar but different. I thought very hard about what the Shadow Master would choose and I kinda combined the skull with the snake (google snake skeletons, they look really creepy) so its just the snake skeleton (no human skull to come out of, tried drawing it like that when I was still working on it but it looked too fussy) but the snake's skull is there with the forked tongue sticking out, the splitting in two is important to the Shadow Master. So glad you like the cover/image! :) haha yeah interesting theory but wrong and you won't actually find out because I cut Lucius finding out to make it shorter so you'll have to wait. __About the title change, for the record I will be changing to either Gray: Scorpius Malfoy and the Blood Runes so its not completely different, spend way too long coming up with Gray to lose it as the series name! And I know the alerters would be okay but anon reviewers who read might be lost. And yeah that's a lot of Weasleys although 5 aren't Weasleys exactly_  


_**To Lucifersdaughter:** Yes I meant couldn't, I've changed it now. Sorry, sometimes I don't check it back. Also about Varanian not wanting Calderon to leave, partly because if Calderon's gone then there's nothing he could do to stop Calderon telling the Ministry on him, partly because Calderon does actually do a lot and if he's gone then Varanian won't have as much control over the school with a new assistant or no assistant, partly because he thinks the school won't be as protected without Calderon there because of Calderon's unusual magic, partly because Calderon's the only one who can get inside the Chamber of Secrets so without him he can't get to the obelisk, partly because Calderon's the easiest to get to activate the obelisk and partly because he can't keep an eye on Calderon anymore if he's gone. So a lot of reasons, think that's everything  
_

* * *

Lucius slumped down into the chair in his study, as of half an hour ago it was 2018. Tomorrow Scorpius would be heading back to Hogwarts and that day the Soul Eaters were up to something, he couldn't go to sleep for worrying about both. His head was throbbing again and he let it fall into his hands as he sighed, nothing helped with the pain and nothing eased his worries either.

"Glad you're still up," Brutus' voice commented and Lucius looked up to see the Soul Eater's lopsided grin, "the master needs to keep the master's strength up for tonight so not having to wake you is good. Happy New Year by the way."

"I've been trying to talk to you for days!" Lucius burst out angrily and Brutus lost his smile.

"I know."

"So why have you only come now?!"

"Because you work for us, not the other way around. You have no right to demand an audience or answers," Brutus pointed out and reached out a deformed hand, Lucius noted he smelled of perfume again, "come on."

"No! I want answers."

Brutus rolled his eyes and without warning his arm jerked forward and grabbed the front of Lucius' cloak, he immediately felt the uncomfortable sensation of the shadow teleporting and a second later he falling onto wet grass. It hurt to breathe and his head was throbbing worse than ever, he glanced irritably up at Brutus who was looking incredibly unsympathetic. Lucius tried to get to his feet but the wave of nausea was too much, he fell back down and his stomach heaved. He tried to speak but vomit came up instead of words, black, burnt-tasting bile.

"Yeah... its worse if you fight it," Brutus pointed out as he cocked his head to one side looking down on him, "come on, the Aurors will be here soon."

"Aur..." Lucius tried to speak but his stomach churned again, he groaned and looked back to the stained grass before he felt Brutus hauling him to his feet.

His legs were being uncooperative and he staggered against the Soul Eater, Brutus actually allowed Lucius to lean against him until his shakiness wore off and he could walk by himself. He still felt nauseous though and stayed his tongue, despite the fact he was dying to ask - or rather _demand_ - to know if there was any connection between the albino boy and Scorpius, they had the same scar after all. He had a niggling, sickening feeling that they had had something to do with what happened to Scorpius.

Brutus stopped walking and Lucius was snapped from his thoughts, they were standing in front of a dilapidated looking house. Stars littered the sky, but there was no rain or snow or even much of a wind wherever they were, it was still cold though. He looked back from the depressed building to Brutus, who had taken out a piece of paper and was studying it. Lucius assumed it was something shady and peered over Brutus' shoulder to look, it was only a photograph though.

He recognized Brutus' father - Aurelius Ashain - he had the dark chestnut eyes and extremely dark auburn hair as his sons, it was wavy and nearly reached his shoulders though, he looked in his thirties maybe in the picture. It was impossible to tell the age of the deformed Brutus but he was a young adult or late teen maybe, his hair was shorter than his father's but he had it combed neatly back. Atticus Ashain was in the center of the two men who both were clapping him on the back and hugging him, he was clean-shaven and looked a gangly teen in the picture, his hair was slightly longer and parted to either side. They were all smiling. Brutus caught him looking and shoved the picture back into his pocket quickly.

"What?" Brutus growled, "I can't have a picture of my family? Taken just after Atty graduated Hogwarts, was proud."

"Its just weird," Lucius risked speaking but quietly to not aggravate his stomach too much although it seemed to be settling down, he bit back a cruel comment about how surprised he was that Brutus could have feelings that resembled human emotion when he clearly wasn't. He didn't think it was a particularly smart to piss Brutus off at that moment, especially if he wanted any answers, "that you care... since you were on opposing sides of the war and all, didn't your brother try to kill you?"

"Its not like I planned on being a Death Eater, Father's way of thinking was as long as the war doesn't directly effect you then stay out of it, if it doesn't matter who wins if it doesn't effect you and I thought pretty much the same except I hoped Voldemort would win because mudbloods are filth who abandon their newborn sons. Father's an oddball and lazy as shit but a talented wizard, that and being a pure-blood made the Death Eaters want to recruit him. They approached us when we were out - the year that no one believed he was back - and tried to get him to join them, he refused. They tried to convince him and he still refused, they _tortured_ him and he still refused. Finally they were going to kill him and the lunatic _still_ fucking refused so I offered to join in his place, they laughed of course so I clocked him, snatched back my wand and used the Cruciatus curse on him instead - jerk didn't like the curse then - they stopped laughing too. Took me instead and let Father go, he hasn't left home since for fear of being attacked again. An- shit they're here, its go time. Come on, we have to get inside."

Lucius wasn't entirely who was where but Brutus hurried inside and Lucius reluctantly followed, inside didn't looked much better than outside. The floorboards were coated in dust, the wallpaper had peeled so much there was practically nothing left but patches of damp. The only furniture was a lone, battered armchair that was so filthy the original color was unguessable, Seraph was seated on it with entirely black eyes - or rather one entirely black eye, he still had the eye-patch on the other for which Lucius was glad if the rest of the right side of Seraph's face was anything to go by. The Shadow Master was controlling him. Brutus pulled something from the inside of his cloak, Lucius barely had time to wonder what it was before the Soul Eater threw it over both of them. It was a fabric that covered both of them completely but Lucius could still clearly see through it, it dawned on him that it was an invisibility cloak. The possessed-Seraph cast a smile in their direction, or at least the side of Seraph's face that wasn't a wreck did.

"What are we dong?" Lucius hissed to Brutus before he heard chimes, echoing all around, "what's happening?!"

"Be quiet unless you want to die," Brutus growled under his breath.

Lucius wasn't content with this but reluctantly shut his mouth, he didn't see why they'd dragged him to a wreck in the middle of no- His thought died mid-sentence as a flurry of chaos swamped the room, doors, windows and even walls being blasted away in flashes of magic. He jumped but Brutus gave no reaction, nor did he move to defend Seraph as seven Aurors burst into the room after the magic blasts. Seraph didn't even move out of the chair as they circled him, in fact he perched his good arm on the arm of the chair and rested his cheek on it.

Lucius studies the oblivious Aurors, most looked in their thirties or forties and had an experienced air about them with the exception of a particularly short woman who seemed to be in her twenties, from the nervousness on her face, Lucius thought she was new to it all. He had to repress a gasp when he recognized the Auror that the others were looking to as if he were their leader: it was Celestine, the Soul Eater.

"Cast aside your wand or we will disarm you by force," one of the older Aurors commanded in a practiced tone.

"Hmm... I don't think so," the Shadow Master mused through Seraph's voice with an even more disturbing smile.

The Shadow Master flicked Seraph's wrist and a pulse of darkness shot out, Lucius couldn't help but shiver as it went through him - as did Brutus and Celestine - but it had a worse effect on the Aurors. The six of them staggered back, dropping their wands and falling to the ground as if dazed. Brutus tossed aside the invisibility cloak and Seraph's body shuddered as the Specter left him, it swooped towards the fallen Aurors and passed over each. Every time the shape twisting by their bodies as if repulsed or repelled before it reached the young woman and stepped into her. The girl's body jerked and when she opened her eyes again they were entirely black, she was now nothing more than a puppet for the Shadow Master.

The Soul Eaters seemed to have already planned this and with ruthless efficiency, Brutus, Celestine and Seraph - now himself again - went around killing the incapacitated Aurors. Lucius may not like Aurors particularly much but he didn't think they deserved that, they were too dazed to even try to fight back. _At least they didn't make me kill any of them_, Lucius thought to himself bitterly as another figure stepped from the shadows carrying a tray with three goblets. He blinked as he recognized him, it was yet another former Death Eater: Rabastan Lestrange. He had aged since Lucius had last seen him... almost twenty years ago? He struggled to remember exactly when but it had been the year of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's defeat at any rate.

The years seemed to have been kind to Rabastan, Lucius thought he was one of those people whose looks had improved with age rather than faded. His hair was now iron gray but somehow it suited him and he was still thin but held himself with much more confidence than Lucius had ever seen before, Azkaban had taken its toll before but now Rabastan looked impressively fit and healthy for a man in his early fifties.

"Since its your birthday, you may have first pick. I like birthdays," the Master said through the girl to Brutus with a smile, Lucius had forgotten it was his birthday.

"Thank you," Brutus stated returning the smile as he walked over to the dead Aurors, peering at them for a moment before reaching down and yanking a hair from the head of one. Lucius groaned inwardly as Brutus dropped the hair into one of the goblets and downed it, not polyjuice potion, _again_.

"Cheer up, Lucius," Rabastan offered as he flashed him a smile, "you can pick next. I'm not bothered, there's enough males to go around."

"I'm surprised the Soul Eaters got you too," Lucius sighed as he glanced between the remaining dead Aurors, Brutus had picked the best looking one of the dead leaving two women - he was definitely avoiding the strangeness of being a woman again, he wondered if it bothered the Shadow Master to be possessing the body of a woman - and two men. Lucius chose the one closest in height to him and grimaced as he pulled a brown hair from the corpse, staring sightlessly up at him with an open mouth and went over to Rabastan to drop it in a goblet.

"I was the very first to join the Master actually," Rabastan pointed out rather proudly, Lucius noted the jealous looks from Celestine and possibly Brutus as he took the goblet, a golden color this time, "before Voldemort had fallen."

"I always thought you were more loyal than that," Lucius growled as Rabastan took the final goblet and put the tray down, kneeling to pluck a hair from the final Auror while the other Soul Eaters conversed a few feet away with the Shadow Master.

"Its not like I randomly upped and abandoned everything I believed in to follow some stranger, Voldemort's blood runs through the Master's veins," Rabastan said cheerfully as he dropped the really short hair into the last goblet, "do you remember what you saw when the Master was possessing you?"

"Watching myself torture that poor boy?"

"Yes. That wasn't a random hallucination or dream or something, you were seeing the Master's memory through the Master's eyes, that truly happened. After Voldemort fell, we erased all memories that you had relating the Master - as we did to everyone except for us, Tommy and my brother - that's why you don't remember. But it _did_ happen. Bottoms up."

"I don't understand," Lucius muttered guiltily as Rabastan clinked the goblets together and they downed the polyjuice potion. He felt sick again.

"The Master is Voldemort's child," Rabastan whispered as the effects of the potion started to take hold, Lucius felt his skin bubbling and saw it happening to Rabastan.

"Lies!" Lucius spat as he staggered against the wall from the sensation tearing through him, "He... wasn't... interested... in family. He had... no children!"

"But he was interested in Horcruxes," Rabastan told him in a voice that was no longer his own, Lucius glanced back to see Rabastan now looked like the Auror he'd been left with, "and an Heir of Salazar Slytherin seemed a worthy option. Unfortunately he was defeated before the Master was born and by the time he returned... let's say he'd changed his mind so it never happened but the Master still existed. Voldemort put me in charge of taking care of the Master, so I have, the Master is more brilliant and more powerful than Voldemort ever was."

"I still don't believe you," Lucius snapped in a harsher voice than he was used to, indicating he now looked like the brunette on the floor.

"You'll get your questions answered tonight, my friend. The Master's giving you a demonstration of why we want the power of victims whose souls the Specters tear apart and as to you panic about the identical scar the boy had to your grandson... Yes," Rabastan told him with a cruel smile, "the Master put a lot of effort into making your baby granddaughter's death look like an accident - I am sorry for that by the way but the Master believed her a necessary sacrifice - just so the parents would send Scorpius away, its a simple charm to ensure he would lose his way and... well, the muggles did the rest except for the protection we put on the house to ensure he couldn't escape, the amulet to protect those filth from any accidental - or intentional - magic from Scorpius and the Master personally scarred his wrist, scarred the other boy's too."

"Why would you do that?!" Lucius yelled furiously and miserably, he hadn't even considered aboutu Lyra, "what in the fuck is wrong with you!? Lyra was a _newborn_and do you even know what those muggle scum did to Scorpius?!"

"It wasn't just one reason," Rabastan informed him in a conversational tone as if he hadn't just been screamed at, "the Master wanted to make you join us, figured your love for family was the most likely thing you'd sell your soul for. Decided on using Scorpius as he could also be part of the experiment - despite not being a twin - but the Master felt he might be slightly unwilling to join us in the future if we'd caused him pain, as well as that he was sympathetic to muggles which made him dangerously close to being a blood-traitor - which is worse than being a muggle or mudblood - so the Master decided to kill several birds with the same stone. Muggles could keep him prisoner instead of us while we let you stew and it worked out pretty well, Scorpius is never going to sympathize with muggles again, is he? He's performing well magic-wise too and he's already proved himself capable of murder, he will make an excellent Soul Eater in time. All that and the Master wanted you to suffer."

"You bastards! You _evil_ bastards!" Lucius shrieked as he drew his wand, "I'll kill you!"

All at once he felt pain, like claws were tearing up him up from the inside. He screamed and fell to the ground, writhing against the invisible claws digging into his flesh. As abruptly as it had started, it had stopped and the Master was standing before him with arms folded.

"I don't think so," the Master smirked with the young Auror's mouth, "you can either get back up right now and resume being obedient - I'll forgive you for your outburst - or the Specter will take over - they're sentient enough to take control without me controlling them directly once they've been taught - until you can see me welcome the New Year with a bang to remember because I am so looking forward to you seeing that, after which it'll just destroy your soul. Its your choice, Lucius."


	63. I: The Storm

_**Author's Note:** Sorry this took so long, was kinda scared of posting it. The title of this fic will be changing to _**Gray: Scorpius Malfoy and the Blood Runes**_ soon. Back to Scorpius next chapter, yay _

_**To Aya Diefair:** Yes, that was where Calderon was attacked. The ball of light was the dead Soul Eater's magic that was ripped out of him because they're collecting them, its a ball of raw power so when Calderon's raw magic touched it then it exploded and caused all that destruction. What happened to the boy (have I said his name yet?) happened after that and had nothing to do with the forest, the Master just wanted to freak Lucius out more and show off a bit  
_

* * *

Lucius stared up at the smirking Shadow Master, for a moment his anger almost making him defy the master and refuse to willingly go along with it. But he didn't. He couldn't. He wasn't brave or foolish enough, there's no way he would survive it. Miserably he got back up and waited for his next instruction. Silently though, he vowed that he _would_ find some way to free his soul and he _would_ find some way to stop the Soul Eaters and wipe the self-satisifed smile from the Master's face - the Master's real face, not the puppets that the Master used to speak through like a coward - and watch the delusional psychopath die a hopefully painful death.

"I thought so," the Master sneered triumphantly before turning back to the others, Lucius saw that Seraph now had his one good arm chained to a metal loop on a belt that he hadn't before, "Brutus you take him, Rabastan you're with me and Cel with Seraph. Switch clothes with them quickly and take their wands first though."

"_Vice versa_," Rabastan said almost before as soon as the Master had finished speaking, pointing his wand at the person whose body he was then identical too and in the blink of an eye the clothes were switched, Rabastan stood in the Auror's clothes and the corpse wore Rabastan's black robes. Brutus and Lucius both followed suit before they took the dead Auror's wands, pocketing their own out of sight, "err... Master, you may want to put the hair in front of the eyes so the darkness is less noticeable."

"Made sure that Brenner's on tonight, he's old and half blind really, retiring this summer anyway," Celestine pointed out dismissively as the Master did as Rabastan suggested, "well he would if he were to live long enough but he won't notice about the eyes."

"I don't doubt you, Cel, but I'd rather be thorough," the Master commented before turning back to the bodies and gesturing.

Two shadows glided into to the two bodies they hadn't polyjuiced, they both shuddered and their glazing eyes became entirely black like the possessed girl. Lucius watched in horror as the corpses got up, their movements slightly jerky but rise they did and stood grinning like idiots, one of them had the head titled slightly and the tongue was lolling out of the mouth. The Master gestured again and they corrected themselves to stand in more passably human ways, albeit still grinning madly as they too pulled the air in front of their blackened eyes.

"Specters can control corpses?" Lucius wondered to Brutus who nodded as he replied.

"Its actually easier to control corpses, they're just empty shells and you don't have to waste energy suppressing the puppet's consciousness. Downside of course is that you can't tap in the puppet's power - assuming they're not a filthy muggle - because the magic's in the soul, can use the wand's though but basically you have to use your own power if you want to use magic through them."

"The Shadow Master can control three people at once?"

"The Master's controlling four people at once right now actually, more if the Master tried. Its harder the more people you try to control at once but it is possible, you tend to give the Specters more-"

"We're leaving now," the Master interrupted and one of the possessed-corpses walked over to them, "Brutus you take that one as well as Lucius and Rabastan you take the other as well. Let's go."

Brutus didn't hesitate as he placed one hand on Lucius and the other on the possessed-corpse, to Lucius' surprise he felt himself being apparated rather than shadow-teleported. From the way he also had his hands on the shoulders, Rabastan also seemed to have apparated himself as well as the Master and the other possessed-corpse and similarly Celestine had one hand on Seraph's arm with his wand trained on him with his free hand. Lucius looked around and saw they were in some empty concrete bunker... his heard skipped a beat as he recognized where they were, it was Azkaban.

The room was the only place in the whole prison - for a while fifty-mile radius in fact - that didn't have anti-apparation wards, it was built into the ground beneath as a way of getting in and out of there. Once you apparated in wards were set back in place to stop you from from disapparating, only those who'd brought you knew the specific spell to lower the protection again so they would be able to leave. No one wanted to stay in Azkaban for longer than necessary. Daily the food and drink for the prisoners was also brought in the same way, anything else was brought as required, the delivery folk just used to leave it in another part of the bunker for the Dementors to distribute as they ran the prison really. Lucius wasn't sure how it worked now as Dementors were no longer employed by the Ministry.

The place still made him shiver though, the memory of his imprisonment with the Dementors was more than enough and he noticed Rabastan had a similar reaction. Celestine muttered for them to take out their wands and hold them by their sides and for two to keep them trained on Seraph, it was apparently Auror protocol in case the prisoner tried anything before he went over to the door to the left and knocking several times. The only other door was to the right and that was to the storeroom, it was locked. Lucius had a really bad feeling as he fingered the handle of the dead Auror's wand, he was almost glad for his anxiety though as it took his mind of being around he people responsible for taking or ruining his grandchildren's lives.

"Who is it?" a voice called from the other side.

"Cel Rooke, passcode castle," Celestine answered cheerfully, "got one incoming, Roland Seraph."

"You caught Seraph?" the voice wondered, followed by the sound of something unlocking and a creek and then the door was opened revealing an aging Auror with slick gray hair, Celestine flashed a handsome smile, "you're on fire, kid, although he don't look like much to catch if my eyes aren't deceiving me."

"Yeah, apparently he didn't escape as unscathed from his last encounter with Aurors as previously thought."

"That's what you get for being on the wrong side of the line," the Auror pointed out, casting a glare in Seraph's direction as he took out his wand. Lucius wasn't entirely sure why they were there but somehow he doubted it was to lock Seraph up, he couldn't see what they could possibly hope to gain from that.

"We got a bunch of them in a raid, the others are clearly more higher ranking so Harry's interrogating them now and we'll get to Seraph later."

"Right, hope it goes well, would be nice to go out by taking those slippery Shadows with me," the Auror stated, shaking his head and starting to raise his wand before lowering it again and smiling at Celestine, "congratulations on your engagement by the way, Cel, you're a lucky man. One thing I'm looking forward to about retirement is spending more time with my beloved Belinda, we've been married thirty years next month, you know? Was going to take her one of those muggle cruises and relax around the world, I think she'll like that. Have you thought about where you're going for the honeymoon?"

"Too much work to do, I'm afraid, my friend," Celestine shrugged it off conversationally as the Auror raised his wand and flicked it, the doorway flashed purple for moment and then became clear.

"You know, I wouldn't mind coming back to cover for you for a bit so you can have some time off for it, you deserve a break."

"You're a good person, Jack," Celestine returned the man's smile and moved his wand so fast that the Auror hadn't time to even realize what was happening, "_Avada Kedavra_."

A flash of green light shot out from the wand and struck the Auror in the chest, he was dead the moment the curse touched him and Lucius actually felt a stab of sympathy. The corpse started to fall back only for another Specter to form behind him, the body fell through it and became possessed like the others.

"How many Specters do you have anyway?" Lucius wondered worriedly and the Master gave a twisted smile.

"A lot. Now clear the way, Brutus and Lucius stay with me," the Master commanded and Celestine, Seraph, Rabastan and the three Specter-possessed corpses all went through the doorway. They followed a moment later, it came out into a dark, dingy, black-stoned corridor that Lucius recognized, all the corridors in Azkaban looked the same. There was a desk with a chair by the door with a ledger on it, the Master jerked the posessed-girl's head and Brutus started flicking through it as the others disappeared round the corner at the end of the corridor, the torches lining the walls lighting automatically as they went past each, "not quite the same without the Dementors, is it Lucius?"

"No."

"I was born here, you know?" the Master commented, now Lucius _knew_ the Master was completely mad, why in the world did the Soul Eaters still follow? Then again, he supposed He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named wasn't too much better, Brutus continued flicking through the ledger and the Master continued ranting to no one in particular, Lucius was only half-listening, "of course you do, you just don't remember anymore. My mother was pregnant when she was sent here, those incompetent bastards didn't bother to check before they locked her up and threw away the key. Literally. Dementors were the closest thing to people I saw besides us until we escaped, twenty-one years to the day, it was raining then too.

"And so Lord Voldemort's progeny - not to mention the heirs of the great and incredible Salazar Slytherin - were raised in the darkest shadows of the world with a mad mother and the foulest creatures to walk the Earth as guards rather then raised as the royalty we are. I'm gonna to pretend it was anything but complete hell, you can't even imagine what is like growing up there, a prisoner, never knowing anything good in the world with the Dementors... I wouldn't be who I am today without them though, I wouldn't be the Shadow Master, there would be no Shadow Master and all the good I've done would never have happened. But one of two things happen when you suffer like that, either you're weak and you let it destroy you or you're strong and you let it define you. I'm strong and there'll be no place for the weak in my world. The weak don't deserve to live. You're granddaughter was weak, if she was strong then she wouldn't herself be killed-"

"_SHE WAS A BABY!_" Lucius screamed so violently that Brutus actually jumped and glanced briefly up from the ledger, the Master's smirk returned, "a newborn baby! An innocent newborn baby. She didn't do anything to you."

"I know, I was just making sure you were still listening, although you did something to me instead. You shouldn't be so upset though, she was dead before you even got to know her, she didn't even have a personality yet but if she had I like to think that she'd be honored to be a sacrifice for me."

"I think she'd rather have gotten to live! You're insane."

"Actually I'm the sane one."

"Well you're evil!" Lucius spat, he wasn't going to argue with a lunatic.

"There is no good and evil, they're just labels we give based on our morality. Am I evil, Brutus?"

"No, Master," Brutus spoke up quickly and the Master's smile became more genuine.

"See, Lucius? Good and evil are subjective. So where was I? Ah yes, we escaped and we met our father for the first time, I'm going to pretend that was a warm reunion either. He wasn't capable of love anyway, of course, but he was disappointed. The only thing he cared about was magical ability, not having access to wands and having your magic repressed by Dementors for so long had left us rather lacking in that department. That's why you were commanded to make us use magic, we didn't deserve to live if we were squibs, imagine _squib_ descents of a pureblood family and the noble and great Salazar Slytherin? The fact that we'd been capable of seeing Dementors our whole lives seemed lost on him though, my father was very flawed, _very_ flawed. I still loved him though, he was my father after all and he did have good points. None personality-wise ones unfortunately. Its a shame he won't be here to see me succeed where he failed, he would be proud. Like he should have been all along. My mother too, although I- its done."

"What's done?" Lucius asked disinterestedly, still seething with hatred and anger.

"Anyone want to dance with the shadows? Anyone dare to take on the night? Can you stay sane as you stare down their gaze? Do you still want to do what is right? You'll lose your soul if you let them take hold, Never again shall you walk in the light!" the Master sang before laughing, a slightly deeper laugh than he'd expect for the possessed-girl's voice and throwing the hands into the air. Shadows immediately swarmed from everywhere and were cast into every direction surrounding the Master who continued to laugh maniacally as darkness scattered everywhere, "we collect the powers now, the new recruits are being possessed and teleported for induction, those left are unworthy. The others are starting from the top, we'll start from the bottom and should meet in the middle. Be fast and keep Lucius close to you, you go right and I'll go left."

"Yes, Master. And the ledger seems to confirm what we know," Brutus said immediately and threw down the ledger, grabbing Lucius arm and pulling him away.

For once Lucius didn't mind, he actually preferred Brutus' company to the Shadow Master and that was saying something. Not that he would admit that anywhere beyond a tiny dark buried corner in the very back of his mind. Not that he didn't still hate Brutus, of course.

Brutus quickly explained that they were collecting the magic from souls the Specters had just destroyed, a glass box would appear in front of each of them in a blur of shadow and they were to use their wand to move the balls of light through the bars and put them inside, they then immediately vanished in a blur of shadow. It wasn't particularly difficult and they were making fast progress, each took a side of their corridor and skipped over the empty cells or cells with people in them, the illumination from the orbs of raw power in the otherwise extreme darkness made it easy to tell if you had to collect or not, the worst part was stepping over the dead Aurors littering the floors. Apparently they needed to be boxed to ensure nothing would touch them and cause the destruction as in the forest, the box protected them and trying to teleport them without made them explode.

"So tell me, Brutus," Lucius started after awhile as they continued their work, he had to ask, "were you the one who _murdered_ Lyra?"

"No!" Brutus snapped shooting him a glare, "I don't like kids being hurt and I don't like babies being killed. The only thing I had to do with that was try convince the Master _not_ to do it, to think of a new plan but best I got is a promise that if it was twins then the babies would live and we'd think of a new plan. The Master has a thing about twins, understandably. The Master considered it necessary, or at least the best way to get Scorpius away. I'm sorry, Lucius but its done now."

"Do you know who... who killed... how..." Lucius' mouth suddenly didn't seem to be working, he didn't want to ask the question but then he didn't want Lyra to have been murdered. _Because of you_, his conscience sneered.

"Poison, polyjuice into the midwife. The Master did it personally."

"I've met the Master!?"

"Yep."

"Merlin's asscrack. Well what about Scorpius? Did you help abduct him?"

"No, that was Celestine and Seraph did the second boy."

"Well now I want to kill him."

"So do I," Brutus growled, sounding remarkably like himself for a polyjuiced body as they moved onto another floor, there were thirteen in total and they were on three by that point, "jumped up brat that thinks he's better than me just because he's better looking."

"I think my reasons for hating him are more intense than yours."

"Yeah, I'd probably agree with you there," Brutus grunted and Lucius blinked in surprise, he hadn't expected Brutus to ever agree with him on anything.

"So what were saying before about the Specters? You tend to give the Specters more...?"

"What? Oh yeah... control. You tend to give them more control, they are sentient to a certain extent, capable of thinking and following simple instructions and stuff."

"Really?"

"Yeah, like the one in you knows certain things that you can do that allow it to take your eat your soul without the Master having to say. Most know things like that or they know to take away your control just so you can't control your body until the Master can do something, only downside of that of course is the eyes being noticeably not normal, the puppet has to be a metamorphmagi to be able to hide it."

"Isn't there anyway to fight off the Specters?" Lucius wondered desperately.

"Not while its dormant. If the Specter or someone is using it to control you then you can but its kind of pointless, you can't get rid of it without the spell so you can only regain control of your body temporarily. It makes your body physically ill though, fighting for control of your own body with a Specter isn't very good for your health and when it gets control again it will almost certainly know to destroy you for fighting, unless its really important you not lose your soul and that doesn't apply to you so its basically suicidal to do that," Brutus explained as they moved onto the next floor.

Lucius fell silent and considered what Brutus had said, if he could fight it off then would it be worth sacrificing his soul for brief freedom? Possibly he could try tell someone as much as he knew but he didn't think he'd really have time. Possibly he could try avenge Lyra but he was pretty sure that killing the Master would only kill the body they were possessing which was essentially pointless. Possibly he could try avenge Scorpius' abuse but he wasn't sure that killing Celestine was the best use of his soul. He carried on miserable silence for a long time, none of his options seemed particularly appealing. What was he going to do? _What am I actually doing now?_ He thought and was drawn from his pondering by his surroundings.

"Brutus err... what's happening?" Lucius asked suddenly frantic,"with Azkaban and these things and all the empty cells. What's going on?!"

"Well basically we've divided up the prisoners into two categories, those we want to join us and those we don't. The ones we want have been teleported to err... somewhere to be offered the chance to, refusers will die. The ones we don't either had their souls ate - so we're collecting their magic - or are gray souls so Specters can't touch them so... they'll die."

"But there were hundreds or thousands of names on that list?!"

"Exactly," Brutus grinned and winked at him, "we don't actually have an awful lot of Soul Eaters in number - unless you count Specters - so we had this brilliant idea of recruiting from Azkaban, an army in an instant. Pretty neat, huh?"

"Not neat, not good," Lucius wondered in horror, the last thing he wanted was for them to be stronger.

"That's enough," the Master called and Lucius glanced up to see the Master, Seraph, Celestine and Rabastan approaching them, "the rest of the floors are done, the ones left here I'll use for the next phase of my plan. Seraph and Cel head back to torture Cel, you need to be injured if Potter's going to buy you were being tortured while all this was going down."

"Yes Mas-" Celestine started to say but he was cut off as Brutus' fist smashed into his face, there was a loud crack and Celestine fell hard to the ground with blood streaming from his newly mishapen nose, "what the actual _fuck_, Brutus?!"

"Helping with your cover," Brutus sneered smirking as he shook his fist, "stupid weak polyjuice body."

"Leave my face alone! And that didn't feel weak."

"Because you're so weak a fly could fell you."

"Oh shut up, you u-"

"Cel, be nice to the birthday boy," the Master interrupted deadpan, "Brutus... try not to hit things so much."

"Yes Master," Brutus offered but looked cheerful as Seraph and Celestine were taken by the shadows.

"Master-"

"Rabastan, I'll be fine. We've been over this. Repeatedly," the Master interrupted with a glare at the former Death Eater, "you can go back now, wait with me and I'll be back momentarily. This won't take long."

"But Master-"

"Do you think I'm _weak_ or something?!"

"No, Master! I'm just... concerned for your health because I care about you and I don't want you to tax yourself."

"Leave now or Brutus gets to hit you."

"Yes, Master," Rabastan sighed before also vanishing into the darkness.

"Now," the Master said triumphantly raising the possessed-Aurors arms into the air, the orbs of power that were left immediately sped towards the Master and shot into them, the Master laughed, "you get to see my power, Lucius and what the orbs are capable of. To give us more power than any normal lone witch or wizard is capable of wielding. Girl whose body I'm possessing, this will pretty much completely destroy you as its too much power for your weak, pathetic and frustratingly short body but please be honored that you got to be a vessel for the Shadow Master which is especially an honor considering your blondness is also irritating. I wish Tommy could be here to see this, how many times did we wish Azkaban destroyed?"

"Come on," Brutus whispered as he took Lucius' arm, casting one last look concerned look at the Master, "be careful."

They were taken by the shadows before the Master had a chance to reply and abruptly Lucius found himself outside in the freezing cold. It was lashing ran, literally it was so heavy that Lucius felt as though it were whipping him or possibly it was the ferocious wind. They were standing - or trying to stand, it was difficult - on some slippery black stone somewhere, Brutus raised his wand to the dark sky and yelled a spell that was lost to the elements, a ball of light shot from his wand and hovered above them to give them some light.

Two broomsticks appeared in a blur of shadow and Brutus grabbed them quickly before they could be blown away, shoving one at Lucius and mounting the other. Lucius followed suite and managed to keep up with Brutus as they took off, not flying very far before Brutus skillfully veered his broom around to face the direction they'd came from. Lucius realized that they'd been standing on top of Azkaban, the black structure loomed like a pillar of evil out of the sea, the violent waves attacking it at the bottom. They just hovered there in the air, having to force the brooms to stay put against the battering wind and rain, he was now completely soaked through. Lucius was about to ask what was the point in what they were doing now when his skin started to feel bubbly, he glanced at Brutus and saw the polyjuice potion was also wearing off on him and he reverted back to his hideously ugly deformed self. Lucius preferred the look of the dead Auror. A deafening boom of thunder echoed around them as lightning cracked the sky. He shivered.

A column of red light shot out from Azkaban, ripping though the flat roof and shooting straight up into the sky. Crimson cracks began to spread out through the building, glowing disturbingly as they tore through the thick black stone like it was nothing until it reached the ground. There was a moment of calm as the red light just pulsed gently in the darkness.

It erupted.

The explosion was brighter than the sun, the heat was scorching as it shot through the night with the blast. Lucius was flung backwards from the force of it and spun through the air, clutching to his broom for dear life as he tried to right himself. He couldn't even hear his own breathing but he could feel his heart violently thudding against the inside of his ribcage as if it was fighting to get out, the roar of the explosion still screamed in his mind as he finally corrected himself.

He turned the broom back to Azkaban. Only there was no Azkaban. A huge fiery version of the skeletal snake Soul Eater symbol above the spot where the prison had been, the sea rolling around beneath like there had never been a building there before. Azkaban was gone. The Shadow Master had _destroyed_ Azkaban. And taken three quarters of its inhabitants to be their army. And Merlin only knew how many more of those balls of power they'd collected, that' _he _had helped to collect. That was not good.

* * *

_**Thanks to: **Lucifersdaughter and Aya Diefair for reviewing!_


	64. I: Hypocrites

Lucius couldn't tear his eyes away from the scene, unaffected the fiery symbol cast an eerie bloody light across everything. He thought it was fitting considering what the Shadow Master had just done but extremely disturbing nonetheless, he shivered and not from the cold. The rain couldn't wash the blood off him. What kind of nightmare had he wound up in this time?

Brutus flew towards him, not seeming to have the trouble that Lucius was having keeping himself stable against the tempest raging around them but then Lucius wasn't the most skillful on a broom. Brutus grinned and offered his hand, Lucius actually gratefully took it, anything to be away from there. The shadow-teleporting didn't even bother him as he found himself back in the wreck of a building, Rabastan's Auror was already wearing their own clothes again and Brutus quickly switched his own back, using another spell to repair the slight rips his real muscular body had caused in the thinner man. Lucius switched his own clothes back and Brutus offered him his hand, defeatedly Lucius took it only to be brought back to his study.

"Why is the Master doing this to me?" Lucius asked the silence.

"Partly because you're useful, partly because the Master has this insatiable urge to prove themselves. But mostly because the Master hates you for treating the Master and Tommy so cruelly, cruelty can come back and bite you in the butt. Really it was kind of dumb of you to torture them like that, I mean the Cruciatus curse is known to have an effect on the victim's mental health so you just made them _more_ unstable," Brutus answered for him, "so really its your fault. The Master can go overboard with vengeance though."

"I get it."

"Kindness pays a lot more than cruelty. Usually."

"Hypocritical much, Brutus?"

"I can be kind. To people who deserve it. Most people are just bastard pricks who treat you like dirt when you look like I do, why be nice to people like that?" Brutus said shaking his head as he started to turn away into the darkness.

"What? No stealing my best alcohol this time?" Lucius wondered going over to the cabinet and taking out a bottle, he could use a drink.

"Nah, have to get back to the Master."

"You work for a madman."

"Nothing about that statement is right," Brutus growled.

"Well then... take it with you," Lucius offered him the bottle, if he was going to get anywhere in finding some way to fight back against the Master then he would need help and Brutus was all he had. Kindness would probably get him further than cruelty in this instance. Brutus looked at him like he was speaking in a different language.

"Why?"

"Its your birthday."

"I punched you."

"Yes you did."

"And I branded your arm."

"Yes you did."

"You hate me."

"Would you just take it before I change my mind?!" Lucius snapped and shoved the bottle at him, Brutus took it painfully slowly with the freakishly deformed hands that Lucius hated.

"Thank you," Brutus said quietly, looking completely dumbstruck as he vanished into the shadows with the bottle.

"Insanity must be rubbing off on me," Lucius sighed as he took out another bottle and sat down with it, he was going to just drink until there was nothing left, "a bad combination with desperation and doom. Happy New Year to you and me, world, let's hope its not our last."

* * *

Scorpius was torn between feeling glad and sad about it being his last day home. On one hand he liked being with his family, they were treating him much more normally so he hoped they'd finally realized he wasn't going to shatter into a thousand pieces if the wind was too strong. On the other hand he missed Hogwarts, he enjoyed his lessons and missed Calderon and his friends, it was strangely silent without the assistant.

He'd written to Molly and Abby to thank them for their gifts and both had replied with thank you letters of thanks also, Abby's also apologizing for overreacting as spending time with her family and not telling them about Varanian had reminded her that she was keeping things from people she cared about too so it was hypocritical to criticize him for it and she was sorry. He hadn't heard anything from the others, he assumed they still hated him - except Michael, with the mail delays it was better to not contact each other as they'd probably not receive letters until they got back, in fact he half-expected Michael to go back and find the presents hadn't actually reached his friend yet. He wouldn't put it past Varanian.

He woke up early and snuck down to help make breakfast with Yip, he'd taken to doing it to spend more time with Yip and because he missed helping out with things, he liked feeling like he was doing something useful. The house-elves were obligated to obey him in not telling and as long as he helped rather than took over then they didn't mind his help, Yip certainly didn't, they had the most interesting conversations in the early hours of the morning.

He went back up to sit down and pretend he hadn't helped when he happened to glance at the to-be-send mail pile, the name caught his eye and he was surprised to see '_Corvinus Ashain_' written in his grandfather's neat handwritten. He scowled as he looked at it, why was his grandfather writing to a relative of Professor Ashain? Hadn't he claimed that Professor Ashain and his family were a disgrace that Scorpius should stay away from? It was odd. His grandfather was a hypocrite.

"Didn't any of us teach you to not snoop through everyone's mail?" his grandfather complained and Scorpius flicked his gaze to see the man had just entered the kitchen, they both quietly moved over to the table.

"I wasn't snooping," Scorpius pointed out as his grandfather rubbed his temples, "the name caught my eye as I walked by, why are you writing to Professor Ashain's father?"

"Firstly, Corvinus would be your professor's_ grand_father not father and secondly its none of your business why I write to him."

"I don't think Corvinus is a very nice person from what Professor Ashain's said about him."

"Well if _Professor_ Ashain said it then it _must_ be true because adults _never_ lie."

"Erm..." Scorpius hesitated as his grandfather closed his eyes and carried on rubbing his temples, "are you alright, grandfather?"

"Yes I'm perfectly fine. Just a little hung- headache, I have a headache."

"He gets cranky when he gets those," his grandmother said as she also joined them for breakfast, casting a worried look at her husband as she sat down beside him, "you know, if you would just come to see a healer like I keep saying then they might be able to do something for your headaches."

"I've told you, Narcissa, I don't need a healer," his grandfather told her firmly as he opened his eyes again and sat up straight, "none of those potions work anyway."

"Well if you would just come in and see them then they could figure out what's causing them and help you, its not ideal me describing your symptoms and them trying to help from that."

"For the love of... Father just go to the healer and put all of our minds at ease," his father complained as his parents joined them, holding hands as they walked to the table and sat down.

A debate started up about his grandfather's headaches, he stubbornly refused to even consider going to see about it and wouldn't budge no matter what the other three said. Scorpius got the impression they'd had the conversation before. He just tried to focus on his breakfast but was glad when an owl arrived with the Daily Prophet, until he saw what the headline was: _AZKABAN OBLITERATED!_ With a picture of a massive fiery version of the Shadows skeletal snake symbol that he'd seen above the train, hovering over the ocean. Scorpius felt sick.

_They were talking about attacking Azkaban, it was interesting, _he recalled the words the dream-boy had spoken_, they're going to attack it soon. You should warn someone but be careful, someone's a spy on their side._

Had his dreams been real after all? How had the dream-boy known? The Shadows wouldn't have anything to do with kidnapping children and muggle monsters so there was no way the boy could've overheard them. It was ludicrous. It was impossible. The dreams _weren't_ real, they couldn't be real. They just couldn't. But then... how had he dreamed about it? Maybe he was destined to be a Seer? Or somehow he'd realized it subconsciously and it had been worked into the dream, that was how dreams usually worked... he thought so anyway. He still felt guilty though. If he had tried to warn someone then... could it have been stopped?

According to what he could read of the article, it was estimated that all of the prison guards had been killed along with several Aurors they'd murdered beforehand - they thought that the Imperius curse or polyjuice potion had been used on captured Aurors to gain them access, one of the captured Aurors had been tortured but had managed to escape but the warning came too late and he was in hospital from 'moderately severe injuries.' Azkaban had been _completely_ destroyed. There was nothing left. They didn't know whether the prisoners had all escaped or had perished, they were treating it as a breakout to put more security measures in place against possibly escaped convicts. One thing was agreed on though, the Wizarding world was terrified by the power of the Shadows, perhaps as much as they had feared He-Who- _Voldemort_, Scorpius corrected himself, Calderon wasn't afraid to use the name then neither was he.

"I don't want to know!" his grandfather burst out suddenly, rubbing his arm, when his father started to read a part of the article aloud, "f-for Scorpius' sake. He shouldn't be hearing this stuff."

"I'm fine," Scorpius protested, he didn't like being used as an excuse.

"I need to lie down," his grandfather announced as he got up and walked away, Scorpius noticed the other adults exchanging bewildered and anxious looks. He didn't think that was normal.

He tried not to think about it all day but his mind kept going back to it, even without the guilty burden of wondering whether he could have stopped it was an incredible feat. The Shadows had destroyed such an old and famous prison supposedly protected by the best, not to mention the score of criminals could now be on the loose. He hadn't been alive when the Wizarding Wars with Voldemort had been going on, he wondered if it was anything like it was now. He hoped the Shadow Master would be stopped soon. The last day still managed to fly by, despite his concerns, and all too soon he found himself lying down in bed for the last time until Easter.

"Voice?" he whispered into the silent night, "I'm sorry I was mean to you, that was... that was wrong of me but you have to understand that you're a voice in my head and that... well its not healthy for my sanity even if you didn't upset me. I don't know for sure if you're the same as the dreams or not but... I think that... its a possibility. A very slight possibility that you could maybe be real. Or something. If you're the same as the dream then you should know that you were right about Azkaban and... just please talk to me, I need to figure this out."

No answer. He lay there for a long time waiting but he still got no answer. He hadn't heard from the voice since his nightmare, nor had he had anymore of those dreams and thankfully not lit anymore fires in his sleep. He did keep waking up repeatedly during the night for no apparent reason though, it was rather frustrating but he supposed it was better than the nightmares. It happened three times that night but the voice didn't say one word. Eventually he just got up early to pack for Hogwarts, he still didn't feel the excitement that he wanted, he was glad to be going back but his worries were like a positive emotion sucking vortex.

"Scorpius?" his grandfather called and rapped on the door, "are you awake?"

"Yes, you may enter," Scorpius told him and his grandfather quickly came in, looking at him with a strangely sad expression. He went over and sat on Scorpius' bed, patting the bed for Scorpius to sit down beside him. Scorpius closed the trunk and obediently obeyed the silent command.

"I wanted to talk to you."

"I figured."

"How do you feel about muggles?" his grandfather asked suddenly, Scorpius was taken aback by the question, he opened and closed his mouth wondering what he was expected to say.

"Err... I don't like them very much and I certainly don't trust them."

"One of your friends is a mudblood."

"But he _is_ magical and I feel bad for him for being raised by muggles, they didn't even let him come home for the holidays."

"You shouldn't hate muggles, Scorpius," his grandfather snapped harshly and Scorpius knew the confusion was showing on his face.

"Since when? You always told me that they're no good, that nothing good can come from associating with such filth and we should stay away from them," Scorpius protested frustratedly and his grandfather looked away ashamedly, Scorpius looked away in the direction hopelessly, "and you were right. I wish I listened to you. If I had then I wouldn't have been in a muggle neighborhood and I wouldn't... I wouldn't have been taken. Its all my fault. I'm sorry I didn't listen."

"Its not your fault, Scorpius. You were only _nine_. If anything its our fault, we should have protected you, we should never have send you away, we should have known better after Lyra... we should have protected you both better," his grandfather trailed off sounding upset as he put an arm round Scorpius protectively, he looked back to him, "for that I'm sorry. But... you can't... you can't hate muggles even though they... they... they hurt you, they r-"

"I know what they did to me," Scorpius interrupted miserably closing his eyes, he didn't want to think about those muggles on top of everything else, his grandfather rubbed his shoulder comfortably, "since when did you like muggles?"

"Because I don't want you to make the same mistakes I've made, nothing good can come of joining an organization that wants to change the world by killing and destroying like the Shadows do."

"I would never join them!" Scorpius yelled, snapping open his eyes and jumping to his feet, how could his grandfather even think he would join them like that?! What kind of person did his grandfather take him for?! "I'm not evil! And I don't want to be! I don't want to kill people or hurt people or destroy prisons or whatever else those psychopaths are doing! I may not like muggles - _and I have every right to hate them!_ - but that doesn't mean I want to go out and kill them all!"

"I'm sorry," his grandfather mumbled, oddly enough not telling him off for yelling but Scorpius almost wished he would, anger blazed through his veins, "I wasn't trying to upset you, you're just the kind of person they'd try to enlist. I don't want you to make my mistakes, have as many things to regret as I do, I don't want you to be able to look in the mirror and hate yourself."

"I already do hate myself! I hate everything about myself!"

"You don't mean that, you're just upset."

"I do mean it!" Scorpius screamed, his wrist starting to sear with pain and his bed caught fire. His grandfather jumped up quickly and had out his wand to put it out in an instant, Scorpius' anger was replaced by horror, "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean... Are you okay?"

"Its alright," his grandfather muttered replacing his wand, "I think you get that from your mother, last Christmas she set the tree on fire."

"Really?"

"Yes, I think everyone loses control sometimes... that reminds me. I was wondering if you could do me a favor."

"Err... sure," Scorpius offered, still reeling from almost accidentally setting his grandfather on fire. What was wrong with him? Maybe deep down he was evil.

"You know that assistant, the one that... the one that said I tortured him?"

"Calderon."

"Yes him. I err... I wanted you to tell him that I think I remember him, there was four of us in the room. Rodolphus Lestrange, him, me and a fourth person. I was trying to get him to do magic and... and..." his grandfather trailed off and actually looked almost guilty, "I tortured him when he didn't, until he blasted the room with light. The fourth person tried to kill us by making the chandelier fall on us but he saved our lives, we didn't realize this at the time though. Can you... Can you ask him who was the fourth person? A name and description would be useful, I'm having trouble remembering that particular individual."

"You can't be serious."

"Deadly serious. Its really important that he tells me... unless that wasn't him, of course."

"I can't ask him that," Scorpius protested, feeling much less guilty as he recalled how upset Calderon had been, "you _tortured_ him, its upsetting. He destroyed his room he was so upset and he looked like he'd been crying, he was still sadder for awhile afterwards, I'm not going to bring that up just because you can't remember, he's been through enough."

"Asking him to remember one person isn't going to kill him, the fourth person didn't even torture him. I think they were a child too."

"They were still there."

"Its really important that I know who that person is, Scorpius please. At least think about it, I wouldn't ask if it wasn't so important," his grandfather pleaded, "and erm... tell... tell him that... erm... that I'm... that I'm sorr... nevermind."

* * *

_**Author's Note:** Soon the title of this fic will be changing to _**Gray: Scorpius Malfoy and the Blood Runes**

_**To Lucifersdaughter:** Thank you so much for reviewing! Yes you got it right, Bellatrix Lestrange is the Shadow Master's mother_


	65. I: Back to School

Scorpius was glad to be going back to Hogwarts even more after the incident with his grandfather. Not that he'd say that. He made sure he was already changed into his uniform before they left for Platform Nine and Three Quarters, saying goodbye to his grandparents before they left. His parents went with him to the Platform to see him off, his father not comfortable hugging him in public again but he did get a pat on the back and several extra hugs from his mother to make up for it. Then he was back on the Hogwarts Express alone, he went to the staff compartment but there was only two Aurors he didn't recognize there but no Calderon.

"Lost, kid?" one of the Aurors said gruffly.

"Erm... Pardon, I was wondering where Calderon was?" Scorpius asked politely.

"Who?"

"Varanian's assistant," the other Auror answered for him, "and no, he's not here. We're taking over guarding the train, can do it far better than a lanky lunatic."

"I doubt it," Scorpius muttered irritably under his breath, how dare they underestimate Calderon, "well thanks. I'll go now."

Scorpius closed the door back feeling saddened that it was his first time on the Hogwarts Express without Calderon, he probably wouldn't get to talk to him until tomorrow. What was he supposed to do now? Did you just wonder around aimlessly trying to find an empty compartment? He went up the train and peered into the compartments, all of them seemed taken and he didn't see any of his friends or people he at least knew. He was relieved when he came to a seemingly empty one and he gratefully went in, slumping into the seat beside the window and staring out into the foggy land outside.

"Am I really that invisible?" a voice questioned and Scorpius jumped, glancing back to the compartment to see Dominique Weasley was sitting in the corner of the seat opposite him. Sitting sideways on it so she was facing the direction of the window with her feet on the seat, hugging her knees to her chest so she didn't take up a lot of space.

"I'm really sorry, I didn't notice you from that angle," Scorpius apologized and stood to leave, "sorry to bother you."

"You can stay if you want, you did let me sit with you once before," Dom shrugged disinterestedly and Scorpius hesitated, he supposed it was better to stay in case he couldn't find anywhere else and she'd changed her mind by then, hopefully it would be alright.

"Thanks," Scorpius offered as he went back to his seat, "and I'm sorry again."

"Its okay, why would anyone notice the runt of the Delacour-Weasley litter?"

"What?"

"Y'know, my brother and sister are perfect, pretty, popular and good at things. And then there's me. Dumb, Ugly, useless me."

"I'm sure you're not that bad, everyone has different talents and no one's useless. Or dumb or ugly."

"Says the pretty, smart boy who beat James to Seeker and beats Rose at half her classes."

"I'm not that great. And I'm not pretty. And any of that doesn't make what I said any less true."

"Well sure, you're going to be nice to me just because I'm letting you sit in the compartment. Why aren't you sitting with your friends anyway?"

"Couldn't find them," Scorpius offered, it wasn't a total lie as he hadn't come across them yet on the train but he'd really rather sit where he was. He could only assume Rose and Albus were still mad at him so he doubted he'd be allowed sit with them anyway, even if he did it would be awkward and Molly was probably sitting with her own age friends so he'd be out of place there too, "I've only ever sat with Calderon before on this train anyway but he's not here."

"I know. There's Aurors instead to guard the train. Molly went to see if she could ask them why."

"Molly's here?" Scorpius wondered feeling a surge of joy that maybe the journey wouldn't be so bad after all.

"Yep. You should see the look on your face when I mentioned Molly," Dom answered and tilted her head to look at him oddly but she didn't give him an explanation or a chance to ask why as she spoke again, "is Varanian still a psycho?"

"Far as I know."

"You know I tried to talk to him before the end of term when I passed him in the corridor, he called me 'Pom' then looked angry when I said that wasn't my name but not angry at me but he just looked furious."

"He's bad with names."

"He's never forgotten mine before, like I said he was my favorite teacher and Defense Against the Dark Arts is my favorite subject. But he didn't attack you again, right? I thought of saying something but I don't really want him to go to jail and I haven't seen anyone else hurt by the _Acutus Curse_. Except for Calderon. But I figure he can take care of himself. But I would have had to say something if he was hurting anyone else."

"He hasn't attacked me since," Scorpius lied and Dom seemed to buy it, "is the _Acutus Curse_ what he used on me then?"

"Yep. _Acuta_ is the incantation, pronounced uK-oot-uh. Whatever direction you slash your wand is direction that the slash happens in, its only as short or as long as your wand movement is. How strong it is also depends on how much power you put into the spell. Like this, _Acuta! Acuta!_" Dom said, abruptly she had her wand out in the blink of an eye and used the spell against the wall opposite, leaving a slight indentation leading upwards towards the right - the direction she'd moved her wand - but the second time she moved it the opposite direction over the first - making a cross shape - and seemed to move her wrist more forcefully, the second mark was much deeper than the first, "see? The second time I meant it more so it was worse, also notice the directionality?"

"Yeah."

"So they said- hey Scorpius," Molly changed what she was talking about when she saw him and grinned as she sat opposite him, "how are you? How was your holiday? Did I thank you for my charm bracelet yet? Its so awesome and you got the owl to be just like Hopper!"

"What did the Aurors say?" Dom interjected before he could attempt an answer.

"The short answer is from the Shadows. The long answer includes a lecture on why children shouldn't be so nosy."

"Bummer."

Molly turned to him and they talked for awhile about their holidays, he told her about his but hers apparently hadn't been good because of Rivers staying with them. He'd been driving them all mad with the exception of her sister - Lucy - who oddly adored him, Molly said that was a good thing because she could usually just leave him droning on to Lucy who hung off of his every word. She also mentioned having to console him every day after Christmas when he sobbed about being old, ugly and worthless because Dom's aunt's fiance - named Cel - had pretended he had gray hairs and looked fifty, Rivers refused to believe the guy had been dishonest instead believing them to be lying to try make him feel better. From that the conversation and everyone's mood darkened as Cel had been the captured Auror who'd managed to escape too late to warn about the Shadows trying to attack Azkaban, Dom joined the conversation then and they also talked about Azkaban just like the adults had. It only ceased when Dom said she needed the toilet and left them alone, Molly stared out the window with an anxious expression.

"I'm sure it'll be okay, Molly," Scorpius offered comfortingly, "they'll get the Shadow Master and they caught the prisoners once before, if they're not already dead then I'm sure they'll catch them again. And I'm sure Cel will be fine, he's not fatally injured or anything."

"Its not that," Molly sighed and bit her lip, "I can't talk about it in front of Dom in case she tells my parents, I wanted to sit with her though as she is my cousin and I feel bad for her sitting here all alone without any friends. My other friends would think I'm nuts."

"Then what? You can tell me anything, I won't think you're nuts," Scorpius prompted gently and for a long moment he thought she wasn't going to answer, "I mean you don't have to tell me if you don't want to but maybe you'll feel better for talking about it, I just want to help, you're my friend and friends are there for each other."

"Okay... I had... I had a dream about the attack on Azkaban."

"Its on your mind that much?"

"No, Scorpius, I had this dream _before_ the attack on Azkaban," Molly explained worried, taking out her beautiful white wand and Scorpius' mind jumped back to the night in the hospital wing when she'd dreamed about the obelisk being in a room that sounded like the Chamber of Secrets, "it was at Christmas, I remember thinking what a weird dream for Christmas so I remember it was before. I dreamed of shadows covering everywhere and it exploding, red cracks and them boom. There was nothing left but the Shadows' symbol, giant and in fire like it is... Do you know what my wand's made of?"

"No."

"Its eleven inches, phoenix feather core and silver lime wood. Do you know what silver lime has a reputation for?"

"No."

"For being used by those skilled in Legilimency and/or Seers. There's a Seer on the Rivers' side of the family and saying I'm good at Diviniation is an understatement, I've actually deliberately tried to fail at it and I still succeed. What if I'm a Seer? What if trying to do Divination I've unlocked something inside deep inside myself, opened my Inner Eye or something?"

"Well... what if you have? Its rare and stuff, maybe its a good thing?" Scorpius offered, not sure what he was supposed to say to that.

"I don't want to be a Seer! I kind of like the future being a surprise, I don't want to know what's going to happen," Molly burst out looking upset, "and I don't want the responsibility. I keep thinking, what if I had said something about my dream? Could I have stopped it? Is it my fault?"

"I... kinda know you feel," Scorpius heard himself saying before he could stop himself, "I had a dream... before Christmas and... in my dream a boy warned me that Azkaban was in danger, there was going to be an attack and I should warn someone but be careful because there was a spy. But I didn't... I didn't say anything because it was just a dream but I still feel bad. I don't think there's anything magical about it, especially since both of us had different experiences about the same thing. We probably heard or saw something that didn't make sense at the time but our subconsciouses realized that it meant Azkaban was in danger so... our dreams tried to warn us and we both didn't realize it. That makes sense right?"

"Yeah," Molly muttered and smiled slightly, he smiled weakly back and slapped away a thought of disagreement that it didn't explain _everything_, "it kinda does, its logical, although I don't think subconsciouses is a word, I like that way better than the Seer thing. I wonder what could've tipped us off that we didn't realize?"

"I don't know."

"I'm back," Dom announced deadpan and sat back down beside her cousin, ending the discussion about it.

Molly's mind seemed actually put at ease by what he'd said and she suggested they play Exploding Snap to pass the time, it actually did do well to take their minds off everything. He asked about Quidditch - that always got Molly cheerful, he liked when she was happy - and Molly excitedly started talking about not being to wait to get back in the air, as well as how amazing the _Cloudcutter_ he'd bought Albus flew as. Time flew by faster than he'd thought and he actually enjoyed the train trip back, mostly anyway, he still kept half-expecting something bad to happen like it had when he'd first come to Hogwarts and the Aurors walking by the doors occasionally seemed slightly ominous. Although he supposed he wouldn't know even if it did as he wasn't with Calderon, he was just another student out of the loop. The train came to a stop and they left the train with the rest of the rabble, it was on the windy platform that he spotted his other friends just in time before Albus threw his arms around him. Scorpius blinked in shock at the sudden hug.

"I'm sorry that I was such a jerk to you," Albus told him as he let him go, "I feel awful about it. I've been dying to apologize for most of the holiday but I wanted to do it in person, some things deserve an apology in person. Are you okay?"

"Yeah I'm just... surprised," Scorpius said slowly, "did you just hug me?"

"Yes he did," Abby laughed as did Albus, Rose's expression was neutral, "I'm sorry too, like I said in my letter. And thank you so much for my presents, you're such a generous person."

"Well you're my friends and... you know... I... I care about you. Even if you're mad at me because I don't tell you _everything_," Scorpius told them nervously staring at the ground, "it doesn't mean I don't care."

"So all is forgiven," Dom announced and Scorpius nearly jumped again, he'd almost forgotten about Dom and Molly being with him, "now let's go to the feast before we freeze to death in this wind!"

There was no argument as the six of them shared a carriage together, Scorpius was hoping that Calderon would have been helping out the Porters with the luggage or something but he didn't see the assistant. He petted the Thestral, it nuzzled his hand appreciatively and he smiled at it as he got into the carriage last and it carried them away. It was only then he realized that his friends were looking at him like he was mad.

"What?" Scorpius wondered, "I like the Thestrals."

"Oh yeah... they pull the carriages," Albus said and glanced in the direction of the Thestrals, "I can't see them, its really just like there's nothing pulling it."

"You can't see them? It's just right there, its alive and breathing and pulling us. It nuzzled my hand, they're really quite gentle I think."

"I don't see anything, sorry."

"Can _none_ of you see them?"

"Nope," Dom commented.

"No," Abby said.

"I can't," Rose added.

"Sorry Scorpius, I don't see them either," Molly offered.

"Its okay," Scorpius muttered with a shrug, "just when I was going, Calderon, Varanian and Michael all seemed like they could see them... probably better that you can't I guess. Its just... I like them, they're... special."

"I wish I could see them," Dom sighed.

"I don't. They're creepy," Rose said stiffly, "you can only see them if you've seen someone die. Who have you seen die then, Scorpius?"

"Erm... just some guy," Scorpius answered awkwardly, hoping she wouldn't press it.

"You just watched some random guy die?"

"Erm... yes."

"How did he die?"

"I don't know. He just dropped dead," Scorpius told them truthfully, he really wasn't sure _how_ he'd managed to kill Marvin. Images of that flooded his mind and he gripped his scarred wrist tightly as he tried to block it out again. _Please drop it Rose_, he begged silently.

"He just dropped dead? That's a bit strange isn't it?"

"I don't know, he just died," Scorpius whispered and squeezed his eyes shut against the memories threatening to engulf him.

"What did he look like? What was his name? Maybe his obituary was in the paper," Rose continued pressing, either obliviously or deliberately trying to upset him, "who was he?"

"Rose!" Molly snapped, "can't you see its bothering him? Shut up! Are you okay, Scor?"

Scorpius nodded but didn't open his eyes for a minute, almost afraid that if he did the memory of Marvin's death would get out. When he did the first thing was Albus' emerald eyes as his friend was sitting opposite him, the same color as Marvin's. He shivered and shifted his head away, his eyes found the Thestrals and didn't leave them for the rest of the awkward journey, he didn't really pay attention to the sparse conversation.

They made it back to the Hogwarts and went straight to the Great Hall, familiarity was comforting and it was very not-muggle. He liked that. He spotted Michael easily, sitting alone near the end with his head resting on his hand. Dom sat down nearer the entrance end of the table, Molly's friends called her over but as he said bye she pulled him to one side first.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Molly asked gently and he met her beautiful sky blue eyes, she looked so concerned.

"Yeah," Scorpius lied.

"You can tell me anything, I won't think you're nuts," Molly told him and he realized those were his words, "you don't have to tell me if you don't want to, now might not be the best time anyway but maybe you'll feel better for talking about it if you're ready, I just want to help, you're my friend and friends are there for each other."

"Thanks," he offered, he couldn't help but smile weakly even though he could never tell her about Marvin, "just bad memories is all. I'll be fine."

"Alright," Molly said and returned the smile slightly as she patted his shoulder comfortingly, "but if you need anything then I'm here for you, okay?"

He nodded and they went their separate ways, his other friends were already sitting down at the table with Michael. Michael looked exhausted but seemed cheerful enough as he thanked the four of them repeatedly for the presents they'd gotten him, Scorpius managed to keep his smile, he was glad to see Michael again. Rose still seemed a bit weird with him though but for the most part he tried to ignore it. The feast appeared and they started to eat, Michael asked them about their holidays and Abby answered first, starting to talk about how even though they hadn't got much and had lost pretty everything in the attack, it had been kind of fun to be able to decorate her room from scratch.

Scorpius was listening as he nibbled at his food but his gaze drifted to the staff table, Varanian currently had shaggy black hair streaked with midnight blue highlights and Calderon stood beside him as usual. He noticed the fresh welt on the assistant's cheek immediately and shot a burning glare to Varanian even though the headmaster wasn't actually looking at him, Varanian was looking oddly smug though. He also noticed Calderon was wearing a necklace, he wondered if it was the one that he'd gotten him, aside from that he seemed the same although it was harder to tell from a distance. Rivers was back and was talking to - or rather _at_ - Professor Ashain, who looked somewhere between exasperated and bored out of his mind. His arm was in a sling, Scorpius noticed, why was Professor Ashain's arm in a sling?!

"What happened to Professor Ashain?" Scorpius asked worriedly looking to Michael.

"He was attacked," Michael answered carefully, "him and Calderon, the rumors vary a lot on what actually happened though. There were Dementors involved and I think it was the Shadows too. Professor Ashain's shoulder was shattered by his attacker according to Varanian, it wouldn't heal so it has to heal the old muggle way of waiting. They fought off the attackers and got away or whatever though, Calderon seems okay now but he was really upset about it before. I'll tell you more about it in private."

Scorpius glanced back to the teacher's table worriedly, at least they seemed okay then. He was still worried, he wasn't sure if they classed as friends but he cared about Calderon and Professor Ashain, it bothered him to think that they had been attacked by people who had obliterated Azkaban while he'd been relaxing with his family. And Dementors, Calderon hated Dementors, Scorpius didn't blame him for being upset. Maybe Varanian wasn't so paranoid after all.

He was glad when they finally got to go to bed, Scorpius had pretty much lost his appetite and had only really been eating for the sake of it, he wanted to sleep so he could stop worrying and he just hoped the strange waking up for no reason would stop now that he was back at Hogwarts. They went back to the dormitory as usual, Scorpius feeling a mixture of anger at _still_ being in the wrong house and relief for a familiar place. Angelo and Reuben were still quite cold to him but they chatted briefly to Albus as the ascended the stairs to bed.

"Just about get used to being alone and then everyone comes back!" Michael laughed as they got to their beds.

"You're okay right?" Albus asked before Scorpius could close the drapes, "no more burning things in your sleep?"

"I'm fine," Scorpius said firmly with a forced smile, "I can promise I didn't burn anything over the holidays. Not in my sleep anyway."

"Good. Goodnight then, night Michael."

Scorpius said his goodnights to his friends, glad that Albus didn't hate him anymore at least and to see Michael again. He was looking forward to the morning but unfortunately that didn't make it any easier to get to sleep though, he heard the sounds of sleeping and gentle snoring but continued to toss and turn himself. He was surprised to hear Michael's voice whisper.

"Are you still awake?"

"I am," Scorpius replied, not sure who his friend was talking to but no one else answered and a moment later he heard Michael getting out of bed and his drapes were pulled open, Michael handed him two book-shaped lumps, "what...?"

"Maurice gave me those to give to you. The blood rune book," Michael explained and Scorpius glanced down, he'd almost forgotten about them, "I thought I'd give them to you alone because you probably don't want anyone else to know."

"He really did it?"

"I guess so, I didn't read it."

"Thanks."

"No problem," Michael offered with a weak smile before he went back to his own bed, Scorpius noticed he'd closed all the drapes the same way Scorpius did.

"Are you okay?"

"Sure. I'm fine," Michael lied with a less convincing smile as he closed the final drape.

* * *

_**Thanks to:** Lucifersdaughter, Aya Diefair and Diddleymaz for reviewing_

_**Author's Note:** reached 200 reviews, anything anyone wants to celebrate because you people deserve it, reviews make my day. Upped the rating to M by the way because of the last few dark chapters. Also the title of this fic will soon be changing to Gray: Scorpius Malfoy and the Blood Runes_

_**To Lucifersdaughter:** yeah it is easy to imagine them together, she was in love with him even if he was incapable of loving her back he did consider her useful, I couldn't think of anyone else who would really willingly bear Voldemort's offspring or who he would consider worthy enough too and I didn't want a random OC plus it makes Lucius an uncle. Yes there is something to the headaches, very well spotted but can't tell you what_

_**To Aya Diefair:** Yes Lucius knows the fourth person was the Shadow Master that's why he wants to know, he wants to know what the Shadow Master's actual name is and what they look like (he was looking through the Shadow Master's eyes so couldn't see them). Maybe Tommy is Calderon and maybe not, Lucius hasn't given a lot of thought to Tommy but he just remembered Calderon accusing him of torturing him and is kinda hoping they're the same person so he can get a name/description of the Shadow Master_

_**To SDF:** I meant to say awhile ago, I looked at the pictures of Rocky. He's not quite the same as Calderon, his hair, clothes and face are different, Calderon has much thinner eyebrows but lanky and gesturey is the same, I get the impression from the pictures that he's energetic and moves around a lot and that's also very Calderon-y. I actually read the whole comic because yep I'm weird, finished it today which is why am only mentioning this now if you're even still reading_


	66. I: The Crush

Scorpius couldn't sleep that night, instead he stayed up reading Maurice's translation of the blood rune book, some of it was interesting and some of it was just an explanation of the runes and their meaning. He was tempted to skip those parts but decided it was best to read it all, it wasn't like he was going to get it all finished in one night anyway. They went to breakfast really early on the second day when hardly anyone was around, no one was near them and Michael told them about what he'd overheard with Varanian and Calderon. Scorpius still hated Varanian - _a lot_ - but he was glad that Calderon hadn't quit, Hogwarts wasn't the same without him. All eyes widened worriedly and turned on him when Michael added that Calderon had mentioned Varanian had tried to kill him.

"Is that related to how he got the rune on his hand?" Albus wondered looking anxious, "Varanian tried to kill him?"

"Maybe," Scorpius mumbled staring into his foul-tasting porridge, "why do you assume I know? They've known each other for twenty years, I've only known them for months so you know there's a lot of stuff I _don't_ know about them. He could have tried to kill Calderon lots of times."

"Look," Abby said and glanced around, lowering her voice, "if Varanian tried to kill Calderon then he's capable of murder which means his threats aren't so idle, the circumstances are important so we know whether its likely he's going to start killing people... I don't want to put my dad at risk or anyone but if there's lives at stake then... then we have to do something no matter how bad the consequences will be for us."

"He won't do it again, it was... unusual circumstances. He can't do it again because he doesn't have the thing that he needs to do the killing with."

"That's so helpful," Rose snapped sarcastically.

"I don't think he'd kill unless he had good reason to. Or at least what _he_ thinks is a good reason anyway and was desperate like he was before, usually he's more careful. I think we'll be okay as long as we don't cross him until we can think of a way to get him arrested without anyone else suffering."

They couldn't think of anything to add to that. Conversations went back to lessons, they all really had different lessons they preferred and were good at. Scorpius' favorite two subjects were Transfiguration and Defense Against the Dark Arts which he was the star pupil in both - he was also the best at Charms but didn't enjoy it after the incident, Albus had developed a real talent for potions and still loved flying - even though he wasn't particularly talented, Abby excelled at Herbology as she'd been helping her dad in the garden since she was a tot and also loved Charms, Rose liked Astronomy and History of Magic because they were all theory - although a Ravenclaw boy continued to beat her to the top spot and Michael just loved all the subjects even though he wasn't very good at the practical or the theory. Although if you talked to him he _understood_ it, very well even but somehow it just got lost when he tried to write it down._  
_

Scorpius liked being back in lessons, quite a few people had problems getting back into the swing of using practical magic again after not being able to use it or practice over the holidays. Scorpius didn't though, if anything not using magic had made him more fired up to use it, he hoped that was why he'd accidentally set his bed on fire with his grandfather on it anyway. Michael also didn't have the problem so in comparison to everyone else he was actually good for once, although he didn't like Defense Against the Dark Arts when Professor Ashain announced they'd be doing about treating werewolf bites.

"Would think you'd like it," Albus commented from Michael's other side, "it being slightly to do with healing at all."

"Werewolves kinda... terrify me slightly," Michael admitted and laughed nervously, "I saw a scary movie with one once when I was younger, I was terrified but my mum assured me that they didn't exist and it was all make-believe. Couldn't believe it when I found out they were actually real after all!"

"Is there any questions?" Professor Ashain added as he finished what he'd been saying about werewolf bites, surprisingly more than half the class put their hands into the air, "err... okay, Mr Nott?"

"Is it true you you and Calderon were attacked by an army of Shadows?" Nott asked and Scorpius noticed Professor Ashain visibly forcing himself not to roll his eyes.

"No its not true. Miss Pewter?"

"Is it true your arm was injured when you were attacked by an army of Dementors?"

"Not an army, no. Mr Tear?"

"Is it true that Calderon obliterated the Dementors with his magic light?"

"No, its not. Miss Wood?"

"Is it true that-"

"Alright, that's enough of that, I'm not talking about what happened to me and Calderon. Does anyone have any questions that are actually relevant to this topic?" Professor Ashain interrupted looking exasperated and all the hands went down, Nott looked thoughtful for a moment before putting his hand up, "yes, Mr Nott?"

"Were you and Calderon attacked by werewolves?" Nott questioned, Professor Ashain did roll his eyes that time.

Scorpius felt bad for Professor Ashain but it seemed to be all the other students were talking about, either that or the Azkaban. He'd been going to try ask in private for his next detention with Professor Ashain what had happened because he thought that Professor Ashain might tell him since they were close, after that lesson he decided against it though. It was probably the last thing the professor wanted to talk about and Scorpius would rather keep a good relationship with Professor Ashain by respecting his privacy than know. He'd decided to not ask Calderon either considering how upset the assistant had been, he was still dying to see him. He was more glad than usual when the last lesson of the day - History of Magic - ended so he could see him.

Calderon was leaning against the wall at the bottom of the stairs waiting for him as usual with a bunch of floating lights, aside from the welt he looked his usual worn out self and Scorpius noticed he was wearing the dragon necklace. Calderon smiled when he saw him, Scorpius returned the smile and jumped over the last few steps to get to him faster. He threw his arms around the assistant and hugged him tightly, incredibly relieved that Calderon was alright. Mostly alright anyway, Scorpius noticed he seemed a bit withdrawn like he had been after his grandfather had upset him. He certainly wasn't going to ask his grandfather's stupid question when Calderon had nearly been killed over the holidays or lost his soul to Dementors or whatever had happened.

"Thank you, Scor," Calderon said as they went to get recently delivered parchment from the stores for some of the professors, "you know, for my necklace."

"Don't mention it," Scorpius shrugged it off, "glad you like it."

"I like dragons. First gift I ever got was a picture of a dragon, Ruby gave it to me for my twentieth birthday. It was one of the pictures on the wall in his hut, I always liked looking at it when I was in there and he gave it to me. I was helping him feed the Thestrals and he said about it being one of their birthdays and I said it was mine too, he was shocked I hadn't said anything and even more shocked that I'd never gotten a birthday present before. I told him I didn't mind but he still insisted and gave me the picture because he knew I liked it. He's always been good to me, Ruby has. I was so happy I cried... and made lights and fireworks happen, not on purpose of course. I was devastated when I accidentally destroyed it a few years later."

Scorpius tried to imagine what it was like to never have gotten a birthday present before or any gift, he hadn't gotten any while he was prisoner but every other year he had for his birthdays and Christmases and Easters and just because. Calderon's Death Eater parents were really mean to not give him any presents ever, then again he supposed they _were_ evil. Death Eaters were evil, except the few that turned good. He would definitely try to Calderon a good birthday present.

"When is your birthday anyway?" Scorpius wondered as they magically carried the parchment, he'd gotten much better at using the levitation charm while in motion from practicing in his detentions, actually he'd unwittingly picked up a lot of hints and tips about magic from his detentions.

"June 6th," Calderon answered and Scorpius recognized the date.

"That's the day I got saved from the muggles. Your birthday must be lucky," Scorpius pointed out and Calderon laughed his maniacal high-pitched laughter but didn't give an explanation on why it amused him that his birthday was lucky, "so did you hear about Azkaban?"

"Who didn't?"

"What do you think?"

"I think that its sad people died, bad there's potentially an army of Death Eaters and criminals running around at the Shadow Master's command but good riddance to such a horrible, evil place. And glad the Dementors are gone."

"There were no Dementors in Azkaban anymore," Scorpius pointed out, not for the first time and Calderon muttered that he knew, not for the first time.

Things slipped back into routine surprisingly quickly, he managed to return the Blood Rune book the first week so he only had Maurice's very neat translation. Scorpius read it every night that first week and had finished by the weekend, using the wand-lighting charm for light to read by, the closed drapes meant it didn't bother the others in the dormitory. Some of it he already knew and it didn't answer all his questions, other parts were interesting and worrying.

He couldn't find out what happened to the person the orb was bound to if the orb was destroyed - it just mentioned it was very bad - nor could he find an explanation for why the orb had kept changing colors. According to the book when no one was touching it, it went to the color of the person's soul to whom it was bound or was 'as clear as glass' when bound to no one. If the person's soul became tainted after they'd bound themselves to it then it would change to that color but would stay that way when not in contact with anyone. That was the only thing Scorpius could find about changing colors, it shouldn't have been doing that when bound to Varanian. Although as the book mentioned, the magic hadn't been used since ancient times and a lot of things about them had become lost, knowledge of how to create them or repair them was gone, that was one of the reasons why the few left were so valuable.

He did discover that there was only four wards needed, there was a spell that conjured the ones in between - if you chose to do that, the less space between the wards the stronger the magic - and they ceased to exist after they'd sank into the ground but the imprint of magic remained as long as the real wards and obelisk were still set up. If you removed the obelisk from the area inside the wards that you wanted protected then the magic would be broken, you would need to dig up the wards and set it up all over again. Same went for one of the wards, the real ones anyway, if you removed a conjured one it would cease to exist but not break the spell. The real ones had to have been filled with blood before you could conjure the others, really you could start the spell then if you wanted but gaps could be penetrated if the enemy threw enough magic at it. The enemy could not penetrate where the conjured wards had been though, not without destroying the real wards and that was near impossible to do, the more conjured wards the more powerful the real ones.

The orb however could be removed from the area or destroyed without breaking the spell, you only needed the orb at the beginning when you set it up and at the end when you activated the obelisk, you didn't even need to use the same orb for both tasks or even the same person being bound to it. You did need the orb to activate it though, it could be in place uselessly for years but not working until you got an orb. If the Spellmaster - the name it gave to whoever was bound to the orb used in the spell - was a white soul then it would protect against all creatures and beings of darkness as well as any spells of attack against the Ward-line and anyone with a black soul, if they were a black soul then it would protect against all creatures and beings of light as well as any spells of attack against the Ward-line and anyone with a white soul, if they were a gray soul then it protected against whatever or whoever they wished to be protected against. The most worrying part was what Scorpius read about activating the obelisk, which activated the magical protection:

_The Spellmaster need only make sure the Orb and Obelisk are in the same room when the spell is being activated, the Orb will rise automatically to its place upon the tip of the Obelisk. If no soul is bound to the Orb then it won't rise, the Obelisk won't even draw blood, it also won't work if the one bound to the Orb tries to be the Obelisk's Sacrifice. A gray soul must be the Obelisk's Sacrifice, the spell can be used to protect against good or evil so the Sacrifice must be neutral. If the Obelisk's Sacrifice is thoroughly willing to give up everything they hold dear the the greater good of protection then the protection is the most powerful and the Wardstone sacrifices may live if not already deceased, the willingness to sacrifice is more important than the actual sacrifice itself._

_The Obelisk will drain its Sacrifice's blood, they will only live until the spell is completed, although it has been recorded that if the Obelisk is already partially filled with blood then the Obelisk's Sacrifice can survive it. Once activated three pulses of light will be released from the Orb, the same color as the Spellmaster's soul, each will travel to the Ward-line and once there the second will follow, then the third. The first pulse obliterates any previous magical protection already in place, including any previous Blood Rune magic. The second pulse puts up an invisible magical dome around the area, an impenetrable shield against the enemies of the Spellmaster if done correctly that also traps any enemies of the Spellmaster inside. The third pulse destroys any enemies trapped inside, without exception. When the third pulse reaches the Ward-line the spell is complete, the Obelisk's Sacrifice will die as will the Wardstone Sacrifice(s). While its impossible for any of the Sacrifices to stop the process themselves, it is possible for others to forcibly remove the Obelisk's Sacrifice before the spell is completed or only partially completed to spare lives. The protection will last until the blood magically drains from the Obelisk, this may take hours or years depending on how strong the protection is. _

If Scorpius hadn't taken Varanian's wand and stopped the obelisk from killing Calderon then it would have killed not only Calderon but mostly likely his friends as well, not to mention Nott and supposedly Varanian - who had started activating the wards himself before it stopped working for him, the only explanation for that was that his soul had changed to gray or black after he'd started which meant Varanian _had_ killed before, although the book mentioned there being other ways aside from murder to taint your soul gray or black but didn't say what and said it was exceedingly rare. He didn't think Varanian or Calderon knew any of that though.

He was really tempted to tell his friends, they were supposed to be trying to stop Varanian together. But on the other hand he didn't want to, he didn't want to betray Professor Ashain's trust by telling them about the orb or Calderon's by telling them about what happened with the obelisk. Even if he just gave them the book - which wasn't betraying anyone's trust - then they would know he was a gray soul, that he'd killed someone because of being unable to activate the wards. Best case scenario was they just stopped being friends with him because they wouldn't want to be friends with a murderer, worst case scenario was they told their parents and he joined Varanian in... wherever they were putting criminals without Azkaban. He was afraid of being arrested, afraid of being a prisoner again except it would be forever because murder was a life sentence. Sometimes it did make him feel bad about not saying anything about what he knew about the blood runes, Michael _knew_ he had a book on them and hadn't told his friends or even tried to read it out of respect.

"Thank you," Scorpius told him one time when they were alone in the library that Saturday while the others were visiting Professor Hagrid for tea and he'd finished with his detention, "you know, for being so good about the blood rune book. The others would probably have flipped if they knew."

"I know," Michael nodded neutrally in agreement, "you're my friend, I trust you have a good reason for not saying anything or will tell us when you're ready or think its okay to or safe to or whatever. Everyone has their secrets."

"You're a good friend."

He wished he could say the same for Rose. As the week had worn on, he was even more sure that he wasn't imagining her being so cold towards him. It made things slightly awkward in their group of friends, Scorpius kept feeling Rose's glaring eyes burning into him whenever he wasn't looking, or even when he was looking. At least Abby and Albus had forgiven him and treated him normally again. It bothered him more and more over the next few weeks, it was a giant in any room that contained both of them but no one said anything about it and every time Scorpius tried to bring up it up, Rose denied that anything was wrong.

January was a pretty uneventful month or at least danger-wise as Scorpius still had classes, detentions and Quidditch practices to keep up with. He didn't hear the voice again or have those weird dreams, he did keep waking up for no reason though but it was happening less and less. Varanian remained good on not making his friends carry on with the wards and Scorpius hoped somewhere in the headmaster's evil insane mind that he'd realized it was a bad idea to use the blood runes. There were still mail delays but Varanian didn't injure anyone else, no fresh wound appeared on Calderon's face either. Calderon was actually worried about Varanian, the headmaster's headaches had returned with force. Scorpius wasn't one to relish in someone's pain - even if it was Varanian - but he wasn't particularly worried about the headmaster, as long as Varanian didn't make someone's life difficult or hurt or kill anyone else than he was pretty indifferent to what Varanian was going through.

February was upon them really quickly and it got him thinking about Quidditch, two days before Valentine's Day was a Saturday which meant the next Quidditch match was only two weeks away. It was Ravenclaw versus Slytherin so he wouldn't play. It was a month until he had to play, he started to feel really apprehensive about his second Quidditch match against Hufflepuff. He said as much to his friends after he was done with his detention and he joined them in the Common Room, most of the students were at Hogsmeade, even more so than usual for the love bug which Scorpius thought was stupid but at least they'd gotten the really good armchairs by the fire.

"You may be nervous," Albus commented and grinned, "but I'm excited, can't wait to see the next matches. You know I'm actually going to root for Slytherin, Ravenclaw won their game so it would be better for Gryffindor if they lost so they'd have less points."

"And because my brother's in Slytherin," Abby pointed out.

"That too, of course," Albus said too quickly as he pumped his fist into the air, "go Nick!"

"Thank you. He's actually really nervous at the moment."

"He can get nervous?" Scorpius wondered, recalling Nick blowing kisses to the audience after saving his fifth goal, that didn't seem like nervous behavior to him although he supposed maybe Nick could just be putting on an act or was alright once he got in the air.

"Of course he can. He's terrified his crush will reject him."

"I thought he had a girlfriend?"

"They broke up."

"Whose his crush?" Rose asked but Scorpius had lost interest, people were stupid to let themselves get so worked up over crushes and dating and all that nonsense.

"Your cousin, Molly."

"WHAT?!" Scorpius burst out and all four of them jumped in surprise as he jumped to his feet, "your brother likes Molly?! He _can't_ like Molly! What is wrong with him?!"

"What's wrong with him liking Molly?" Abby wondered and Scorpius started pacing, he was suddenly feeling intensely energetic and furious at Nick.

"Because he can't! He... He's all wrong for her! He's so... cocky and arrogant and he was kissing another girl a few months ago, moved on pretty quick, don't you think?!"

"I think they'd be sweet together," Rose said with a smile as Abby scowled at Scorpius' reaction.

"No they wouldn't! He's the enemy!" Scorpius yelled and tried to understand why he had the suddenly overwhelming urge to punch Nick in the face, "he's a Slytherin! And not just a Slytherin but the Slytherin Keeper, that's like... that's like the anti-Molly! He's all wrong for her! He's so... not her type."

"Scorpius, do you... do you have a crush on Molly Weasley?" Michael asked and Scorpius was sure his face turned as red as the fire that suddenly blazed.

"NO!"

"Merlin's Valentine, you _do_ have a crush on her," Abby gasped and put her hand to her mouth, her scowl replaced by a teasing smile, "you do talk about her, a lot."

"I do _not_!"

"You do!" Albus laughed, "Mr I'm-Not-Bothering-With-Girls has a crush."

"What part of _I do not_, aren't you getting?! We're _just_ friends! No different than how I feel about you guys."

"Then why are you blushing?"

"I'm not! I mean I know I am but only because what you people are saying is so not true that its unbelievable," Scorpius snapped and crossed his arms, he _didn't_ have a crush on Molly.

He knew he didn't. He would _know_ if he had a crush on her. He wasn't one of those stupid people who got crushes and wanted to kiss and hold hands - well he'd held her hand but that was different and it wasn't like he'd liked it anyway - well he _had_ but not because he liked her - well he did like her but as a friend, he liked all his friends... he didn't want to hold _their_ hands though. He mentally slapped himself again. He didn't have a crush on her, just because she was kind and funny and talented and smart and absolutely beautiful and - _NO! I don't have a crush on her_, he told himself firmly, _you stupid brain, I don't!_

"Did you get her anything for Valentine's Day?" Abby inquired curiously.

"Of course not because I _DON'T_ have a crush on her!" Scorpius answered frustratedly, "now if you don't mind I'm going to go and do my detention with Calderon because he's saner than you lot and doesn't accuse me of having crushes on people!"

"Didn't you already have your detention today?" Michael called over his shoulder as Scorpius stormed off, he hesitated in the portrait hole, opening and closing his mouth for a few minutes while they watched him as he tried to think of a come back.

"No!" Scorpius said finally and stormed off, his face red again as he realized how stupid he'd probably sounded just then.

It was their fault though with their stupid accusations. He didn't have a crush on Molly. And he didn't care who she dated. She could date whoever she wanted. Except Nick. And other Slytherins. And Ravenclaws. And Hufflepuffs too, obviously he wasn't just biased against Slytherins, it was all the houses they were enemies with. And the Gryffindors because they were stupid mean jerks. Except the Quidditch team but most of the boys were Molly's cousins or Cole, who had a girlfriend. _Am I going mad or just already there?_ he wondered as he knocked on Calderon's door. The assistant opened it a moment later and raised an eyebrow.

"Didn't you already have your detention today?" Calderon asked, he was still wearing the dragon necklace, Scorpius hadn't seen him without it since he'd gotten back.

"Err... no," Scorpius answered awkwardly and somehow Calderon actually managed to raise his eyebrow higher, "I wanted to do more, it was only a short detention because of the Quidditch practice before. Can't I please help you with something?"

"Not unless you feel like combing through job applicant-"

"Yes! Thank you!" Scorpius burst out gratefully and Calderon shook his head with a smile as he opened the door to let him in, "wait, what job applicants?"

Calderon's tiny room was buried in letters, there was a huge mound of unopened ones covering almost all the floor space except by the door. There were six neat but tall piles of opened ones at the end of Calderon's bed and discarded envelopes covered the desk. Calderon practically waded through the ones on the floor to free the chair from beneath the desk, using magic as there wasn't enough gap for it to be pulled out more than a handspan with the bed there. He magically flung some of the letters out of the way to make room for the chair beside the desk, he gestured for Scorpius to sit down which he did.

"As I was saying," Calderon offered as he sat cross-legged on his bed and gestured to the pile of letters as he spoke, "here is all the job applicants we've received, deadline was yesterday so can happily throw away any new ones because they're too late. There's eight staff leaving so we have to replace them and I'm been putting it off since the deadline opened at Christmas so... there's kind of a lot to go through."

"You're not leaving are you?" Scorpius wondered a stab of panic but Calderon shook his head.

"No. Poppy's leaving and the other two most senior nurses are so we need three healers and the rest are professors. We need new teachers for Potions, Charms, Flying, Muggle Studies and Study of Ancient Runes so I've divided the letters into six piles, one for each of the teachers and one for all healers."

"Aren't those the staff you usually just convince to stay one more year every year?"

"Yes. But I'm not doing that anymore, its not right."

"I like those teachers."

"So do I but its what they want, especially with Pippy driving anyone nuts. He wanted background checks on all of them recently, didn't go down too well."

Calderon went on to explain that they had to read through all of the letters and put them in the right pile for now, once they were all sorted then they'd start sorting the individual piles but they'd get to that later. Scorpius was starting to regret agreeing to it, finding replacements to teachers you liked was depressing, he wondered why it couldn't be Rivers who was leaving or Varanian. It didn't really take his mind off Molly as much he'd hoped, although he liked the music that Calderon had magically started playing to alleviate the silence, some of the letters he had to re-read because he was zoned out from thinking about it all and the words stopped registering in his mind. He got to a letter from someone also named Molly and groaned.

"Something on your mind, Scor?" Calderon wondered.

"I don't want to talk about it," Scorpius said quickly but started to think better of it, Calderon was an adult, he probably knew about crushes.

"Alright."

"I changed my mind, I do."

"Alright."

"Well... have you ever had a crush on someone?" Scorpius asked, deciding to ease into it but to his surprise Calderon shook his head, "really? No one?"

"Really," Calderon admitted as his face went scarlet, "insanity kind of left me... stunted on the whole... crush thing that people go through, I was actually really foggy on the whole thing until I was in my twenties anyway. Or maybe I just take after my father."

"So you've never held a girl's hand?"

"Not unless you count family."

"Or kissed a girl?"

"No."

"So you've never dated anyone?"

"Never."

"Really?"

"No, I like pretending to be the only thirty-five year old in the world whose never done any of that because its not embarrassing in the slightest," Calderon pointed out sarcastically and it was Scorpius' turn to blush.

"Sorry."

"Its okay. Probably for the best anyway, you know I'm me. I'll always try to help you out, Scor, but I'm not really probably the best person to ask for advice about a crush," Calderon brushed it off but looked slightly sad regardless.

"It's not a crush..." Scorpius started to explain but ended up telling him everything that had happened with his friends anyway, as well as about holding her hand, "but I _don't_ have a crush on Molly. I mean, I would know if I had a crush on her, wouldn't I? What does a crush feel like? I just... I don't know how I feel, I feel weird around her sometimes but... I don't know. I was kinda mad at them for saying I had a crush on Molly but thinking about, I _do_ feel different about her than my other friends. I don't know how I feel exactly. I mean I always thought dating was silly and kissing and holding hands kind of gross and wrong but... it doesn't seem like that if I think of Molly. But I mean does it matter if I have a crush on her? I can't do anything about it, I can't go out with her or anything, can I? What do people do? I don't know what people do in this situation or if I'm the only one. I've never felt like this before and I... just I don't know. Is there a way to stop feeling this and just be friends and be happy for her and Nick? But I don't know if I want it to stop because... I do... I don't know and I... I can't stop talking now, what is wrong with me? My mouth is broken. Does any of that make sense at least?"

"Yeah... Feelings are complicated and hard to understand like that."

"Exactly... So what... what should I do?"

"Erm..." Calderon started to say and looked more confused than Scorpius had ever seen him, "I really don't know, I'm sorry... What do you want to do?"

"Erm... I don't know either," Scorpius admitted, he felt about as clueless as Calderon looked, "I really don't."

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_**Thanks to:** Guest and Diddleymaz for reviewing_


	67. I: Almost Normal

_**Thanks to:** Aya Diefair, Critique and Lucifersdaughter for reviewing!_

_**To Lucifersdaughter:** yes you were a guest in the last chapter, I thought it was you but wasn't sure. Molly is in her third year, she's 13 almost 14  
_

**_Author's Note: _**_Sorry this took so long again, it was a lot longer and I cut out a lot but still wrote it so took time. But yay Easter, things start happening now, so close to the end. Also I apologize for typos, feel free to point them out if I miss any as I do go back and change them, I do spellcheck and skim through it but I'm really tired a lot because I have trouble sleeping and its easy to miss things sometimes, I'm only human, I apologize_

* * *

Scorpius didn't make any progress in understanding or figuring out what to do about how he felt, or how he actually felt. He did feel a bit better for having told Calderon about it though, even though Calderon didn't know what to do. He hadn't laughed and told him that he was stupid for feeling strange things that no one understood. They did make progress getting through the job applicants though, Scorpius supposed that was a good thing although he thought that really Varanian should be the one doing it as he was the headmaster. They got through all the letters when Calderon told him he should go to dinner then, he reluctantly left the assistant and headed off to dinner with Calderon's song stuck in his mind. He just hoped his friends wouldn't say anything about Molly.

"So about Molly," Albus began and Scorpius groaned, "we're sorry for teasing you. We won't bring it up again."

"Well thank you," Scorpius said gratefully.

"Its just you're so... _you_, its weird you have a crush."

"What does that mean?"

"You're not... um... you know, open about your feelings and stuff," Abby offered, "or even very expressful with your facial expressions. Its not a bad thing, it just was surprising to see you so riled up about something. I'm sorry if we upset you."

"Uptight," Rose interjected stiffly, "the word you were looking for to describe Scorpius is uptight."

"I'm not uptight!" Scorpius protested.

"Are too. And for the record, you don't have a chance with our cousin. She wouldn't go out with you if her life depended on it, she's a teenager and you're just a silly little boy that she feels sorry for. That's the only reason she spends time with you at all. Pity."

"Rose!" Albus hissed but Rose didn't look the slightest bit apologetic.

"Okay that's enough," Michael interrupted with a note of finality in his voice, ever the peacekeeper, "we're all going to get along or so help me I will hex you into the middle of next week. This is not how friends treat each other so either get along or talk about what's bothering us in a rational way, understand?"

They ate in virtual silence after that, Rose insisted there was nothing wrong as usual. Scorpius couldn't help but feel hurt, either Rose was just making those things up to hurt him or Molly had said that to her so either way at least one of his friends was against him. It was much easier being friends with Yip, any argument they'd ever had had been resolved within the day. He'd never had anything happen like whatever was going on with Rose, he wished she'd just come out and say what her problem is.

He lay awake that night still trying to figure out how he felt about Molly, just about when he could convince himself that they were just friends he'd think about her dating Nick and feel angry again. On the other hand, if he thought about going out with Molly then it seemed really stupid. Other people dated, other people had crushes and girlfriends, not _him_. Not that he'd ever have a chance with her anyway. Not that he wanted to date her, the whole concept puzzled him slightly but... every time he thought of holding her hand he felt warm inside. He hated how confusing his emotions were, was it like that for everyone or was his brain just broken?

He still couldn't figure it out on Sunday and almost didn't go down to do his homework with her because he felt so awkward and confused, Molly seemed her usual self and oblivious to his inner turmoil. She had her own turmoil that had nothing to do with crushes, her parents had really been pressuring her about her schoolwork recently and she was struggling to stay on top of all eleven subjects or rather panicking about it and second guessing herself. She rambling as much when she was nervous as she did when she was excited, seeing her behaving so normally actually made him feel better about everything, Rose was wrong. He tried to reassure her that she'd do great, the exams were a whole four months away anyway, she was smart and he knew she could do it. She actually seemed to relax at this, she smiled and his heart did a somersault.

"Thanks. Sometimes I get worked up like that," Molly told him brushing a strand of curly red hair from her eyes, "I'm actually finished all the homework I needed done for tonight."

"You should get some sleep then, I'm practically done too," Scorpius pointed out as they started to pack up their work, her hand brushed his just as his attention was caught by giggling and he glanced to see a couple kissing on one of the couches.

He and Molly said goodnight, she went back to her dorm but he didn't leave right away. He sat there lost in his mind as he caressed his hand where Molly's had brushed it. _It would be nice to hold her hand again, just hold it,_ he thought to himself, _that's not so bad, is it?_

"I _do_ have a crush on her," he admitted so quietly that he barely even heard himself.

He had even more trouble sleeping that night, he still didn't know what to do about it. He supposed it didn't matter anyway, she'd be going out with Nick anyway. He supposed Nick wasn't that bad, he had cared about his family after all and there was no way Scorpius could ever go out with her even if what Rose had said wasn't true. If he really cared about her then it wouldn't matter who she went out with as long as she was happy, that mattered more than who she was with, whatever made her happy. He resigned himself to it but if Nick made her cry like some of the girls he'd seen around Gryffindor Tower then he really would punch him in the face.

As it turned out, she didn't agree to go out with Nick though. She felt like she couldn't keep up with a relationship with all her classes and Quidditch at that point in time - she also admitted that the idea of being in a relationship freaked her out a little bit - so they were remaining just friends. For then anyway but Nick was very decent about it apparently. Scorpius wondered if he was a bad person for feeling so happy they weren't dating and the realization he had a crush on her seemed to unlock some window in his mind, Molly's face and thoughts of them holding hands kept randomly popping up out of nowhere.

February was rather different in terms of his detentions, Calderon was obsessed about the job applicants that Varanian had left him in charge of. Calderon was taking his responsibility very seriously. There was an endless amount of combing through applications to narrow it down to a reasonable number for interviews, Calderon had asked Professor McGonagall for advice and made a list of things they should look out for based off of what she'd said. Then there were the interviews which Varanian had Calderon do in his office but didn't have the time to waste on them himself, or rather he was ill from his headaches a lot of the time. On interview days it would be Varanian who'd pick him up and take him to whomever he'd be spending his detention with. He missed Calderon.

It was the first time he'd been alone with the headmaster since he'd threatened to kill Michael if he told anyone, Varanian had always been thin but Scorpius thought he looked visibly thinner up close and more often than not he had a hand to his head as if in pain while he would wait for Scorpius' last class of the day to end. They didn't usually say much to each other. Scorpius was relieved when it was the last day of interviews, just before the Ravenclaw-Slytherin Quidditch match. Varanian was sporting wavy iron gray hair to match his eyes, he looked in a lot of pain when Scorpius went over to him and started to lead him away. Usually he said where Scorpius would be doing his detention with but this time he remained silent.

"So... where are we going?" Scorpius decided to risk prompting and Varanian shot him a dark look but paused.

Varanian stood there for a long moment as if waiting for something and then looked angry but he still didn't say anything, he opened and closed his mouth several times though. Scorpius was starting to regret asking and was wondering if Varanian had actually forgotten the name of the person, they'd probably have been there by then if Scorpius hadn't said anything.

"It doesn't matter, let's just keep walking," Scorpius offered and Varanian nodded, they hadn't walked three steps before Varanian's body jerked forward and he collapsed onto the ground, "Varanian?"

Scorpius glanced about but there was no one around and Varanian didn't get up, his hair reverted to the scruffy tawny color and his hands became scarred once more. Scorpius wasn't sure what to do, what were you supposed to do when someone collapsed? Where was Michael when you needed him? He got to his knees beside the headmaster and saw Varanian's eyes were closed but he looked like he was still breathing, Scorpius tried lamely shaking his shoulder to wake him up but it didn't work.

"I'm going to get help, okay?" Scorpius told the unconscious headmaster before he rushed off, running on the feet Varanian had scarred with a part of him wondering why he was trying to help Varanian but it was the right thing to do, you couldn't just leave someone like that. No matter who they were.

Scorpius wasn't sure what to do or where he was supposed to be doing for his detention so he just hung around with the Madam Pomfrey and the healers in the Hospital Wing while they saw to Varanian. They'd barely gotten him into one of the beds when Varanian had another seizure, his body spasmed violently and Madam Pomfrey used a spell to stop it or probably to stop him from hurting himself as Varanian still twitched rather than thrashed. He started breathing raggedly and there was a sheen of sweat on his forehead when it stopped, Varanian looked in agony as he flicked his eyes open.

"How are you feeling?" Madam Pomfrey asked before whispering something to another of the healers who hurried off.

"I'm fine... I don't want to be in the hospital wing," Varanian complained weakly as he tried to sit up but didn't seem to have the strength as he fell back and squeezed shut his eyes, clutching at his head again, "I don't like hospitals... I'm fine. I want to go."

"Alright. Get up and walk out of here then if you're so fine."

Varanian seemed to be determined to take the offer as his eyes flicked open with a determined edge. He tried to get up again, he managed to sit up properly that time but the effort seemed to aggravate whatever was wrong with his head. His face screwed up in agony again and the hand still on his head curled tightly, Scorpius was sure if he still had nails then they'd be digging into his scalp. Defeatedly Varanian fell back onto the bed again as the other healer returned with two different bottles of potion, one yellowish and one a beautiful shade of blue along with two goblets.

"Healers are useless anyway, nothing you can do helps," Varanian grumbled under his breath as his eyes fell closed again, Scorpius wondered if he'd passed out again.

"When was the last time you ate?" Madam Pomfrey questioned as she started pouring the yellow liquid into one of the goblets followed by the blue liquid in the other goblet.

"Last week."

"Varanian seriously, how much of this I can give you depends on when you last ate."

"Last week. I wanted to see what would happen if I stopped eating, I sit at meals but don't eat."

"What in Merlin's name did you think would happen!?" Madam Pomfrey exclaimed glaring at the headmaster before he screamed and started convulsing again, more violently than before but not as long but she still used the spell on him again. She waited until it was over before giving the goblet filled with the yellow potion, "this should stop those seizures."

"I bet it... won't," Varanian said so weakly that Scorpius could barely hear him but he still drank the potion, "where's Mar... Marius? I need... I need to talk to him... while I can..."

"It can wait until you're well," Madam Pomfrey stated firmly as she gave him the second goblet.

"No it can't! It has to be now," Varanian protested as he drank the second potion, "that tasted... like a sleep... sleeping drought."

"It was, you need rest."

"No! I need to stay... I need to stay awake," Varanian said desperately as Madam Pomfrey took the goblet back from him, from the way the headmaster's eyes were fluttering it seemed to be working, "you useless... useless bitch, I have to... I have stay awake. I have to stay..."

Varanian trailed off as his head lolled and he drifted into sleep, Madam Pomfrey shaking her head at being insulted. Scorpius didn't know what to make of it, he supposed it was just a weird illness for a weird person. Varanian was absent for the whole weekend for all meals and the Quidditch match but returned Monday at breakfast looking healthy, unscarred and irritable again but he did eat.

Scorpius alone of his friends cheered for Ravenclaw in the Ravenclaw versus Slytherin match, it was still Professor Ashain's house after all and he lacked the house pride that the others had in wanting Slytherin to win to up Gryffindor's chances. The Slytherin Beaters had broken Molly's arm anyway, he wasn't going to forgive them so quickly for that. Slytherin's Chasers seemed even worse from watching them, Ravenclaw flew circles around them and if not for Nick would have been very far ahead. Ravenclaw seemed to realized that and coordinated an attack against him, slamming both Bludgers at him at the same time, Nick didn't stand a chance. Ravenclaw clobbered them after that, Kyle narrowly caught the Snitch in the end but Ravenclaw still won.

February came and went and March rolled in, still no evil Varanian things, no voices, no dreams and he was down to only waking up twice a night. He was almost optimistic for once, if not for Rose being so cold to him still anyway, she really knew how to hold a grudge. He was nervous about his next Quidditch match too, he kept alternating between trying not to think about it and telling himself that if Kyle had been the best Seeker in the school then he'd already beaten the most difficult, Hufflepuff would be easier. Both had limited success. He wished Calderon would be there, he knew it was stupid but he still kept wishing that Calderon would be there.

The next match was upon him soon enough and before he realized it he was preparing to walk out onto the pitch with the rest of the team. He spared a glance at James though before they went onto the pitch, he hoped James wouldn't abuse his Beater position to attack him again. The last thing he needed was his own team attacking him as well as the opposing one.

Scorpius actually wasn't feeling as crushed with nerves as he'd been last game, maybe because the game had snuck up on him so quickly. Rain was blanketing the stadium which pretty much suited his mood. He wasn't particularly fond of being soaked through but he was better than most at spotting the Snitch through the rain so he didn't mind so much, it would probably be worse for the other Seeker. In fact it was, he noticed the Snitch and went for it only to be blocked by the Hufflepuff Beaters, the Hufflepuff Seeker had tried to go after it but from the way she went left when it had been heading right, Scorpius thought she hadn't noticed it at all.

The game was immensely frustrating like that, they seemed to have deliberately made it part of their defense strategy to block him just like they had the Ravenclaw Seeker. They'd planned for it, their own Beaters were supposed to be countering it but they'd started countering Freddie and James' aim seemed to be terrible whenever he was near Scorpius. In fact Scorpius found himself on the defense just as much from James as he was from the other team, he had to admire James' talent in making it look like he was missing accidentally and he did hear his name praised over his agility at dodging.

He needed a new tactic. Something clicked in the back of his mind as he recalled when he'd been talking Quidditch with Professor Ashain. It was worth a shot. The next time he caught sight of the Snitch, he went in the _opposite_ direction to it but kept it in his sights out of the corner of his eye. The Hufflepuff Seeker veered off in the wrong direction, Hufflepuff tried to block him which really just sent him in the right direction and he rocketed towards it as fast he could make the broom go, the Hufflepuff Beaters weren't near enough to the Bludgers to stop him then.

He snatched the Snitch out of the sky and ended the game in Gryffindor's favor, Hufflepuff had been having terrible luck getting past Molly. He held the Snitch up for everyone to see, he just wanted it to be over at that point. To his surprise a thunderous cheer erupted from the crowd, he hoped they were cheering for Gryffindor's victory and not his efforts in catching the Snitch, Professor Ashain deserved credit for that. He'd been unconscious last time so he hadn't experienced the post-game events before, everyone else was landing back on the pitch so he did the same, the Gryffindor team - minus James - were beaming. The Captains shook hands and the Hufflepuff Seeker shook his hand, congratulating him. He liked the good sportsmanship but couldn't wait to be out of the rain and in his detention with Calderon, Rose's words still echoed in his mind about him not deserving being on the team. Everyone started heading back inside to get out of the rain - Scorpius included - and he was beset with Gryffindors congratulating him and praising him, he noticed Professor Ashain just after he got in and ran over to him.

"Professor Ashain!" Scorpius called and the professor beamed as he saw him.

"Great game, Scor," Professor Ashain offered and Scorpius managed a smile, it meant more coming from him than random people he barely knew and strangers, "very good idea with that feint to catch to catch the Snitch, not to mention your impressive dodging."

"Thanks but I couldn't have done it without you. I wanted to thank you for that."

"What did I do?" the professor wondered looking puzzled.

"You did something similar in one of the games you told me about, I got the idea from you. So thank you."

"You don't need to thank me for that and you're more than welcome anyway."

"Scorpius," Varanian barked and Scorpius jumped in surprise as the headmaster strode over to them, his hair currently streaked scarlet and gold and soaked like everyone, Professor Ashain shivered oddly, "I've changed my mind about you having that broom, first years are not allowed brooms and I'm enforcing that rule so you have to get rid of it. By tomorrow."

"That's not really fair."

"Silence Ashain, this doesn't concern you."

"Fine," Scorpius sighed, not relishing the thought of using a broom that veered randomly, that would impede his ability to dodge the Bludgers from his own team. Varanian inclined his head in acknowledgement and started to turn away.

"Wait!" Professor Ashain protested as some idea seemed to dawn on him, "are teachers allowed broomsticks?"

"Well... yes, obviously," Varanian answered slowly, "why?"

"Well err... the broom isn't Scorpius' anymore, its my birthday and he gave it to me as a gift. Didn't you?"

"Err... yes," Scorpius agreed unsurely, wondering where Professor Ashain was going with it.

"Exactly but I don't mind lending it to him for Quidditch matches and Quidditch practices. That's perfectly within the rules, isn't it? Unless I'm not allowed to use my own broom however I want?"

"Well..." Varanian began and opened and closed his mouth a few times before glowering, his hair turned black, "yes it is. Unfortunately... Are you still on probation?"

"No."

"Consider yourself back on it," Varanian snapped as he stalked away, Professor Ashain muttered some curses under his breath and sighed.

"Oh well, it was worth it to see the look on his face, I swear I've been on probation more months than not anyway. I can't decide whether I've somehow managed to become a rebel in my old age or he just has it out for me, or both," Professor Ashain pointed out with a cautious smile as he winked at Scorpius, "you do realize that's nonsense, by the way? I'm not taking your broom, I'm just using a loophole for you to keep it."

"Yeah I got that, thank you," Scorpius said as he returned the smile although he felt bad the professor had been put on probation undeservedly again, he had liked the look on Varanian's face though, "your birthday's in the summer."

"Yes but Varanian doesn't have to know that."

"You're the best."

"No, definitely not. And err... don't take this as a lesson that its okay to lie to adults, it was very, very wrong of me."

"Of course," Scorpius nodded in agreement as they started walking but still thought Professor Ashain was awesome for it, "so how's things with your family? Is Skye still talking to you?"

"Yes and no," Professor Ashain answered and scowled, "every time I speak to her she has more questions on magic, why we don't try to find a cure for our disease, if its not a disease than isn't it dangerous and why don't we find a cure for our own safety, if magic isn't a disease or dangerous then why do we keep a secret like its a bad thing, wouldn't muggles hate us more for lying if they ever found out, why do wizards think its okay to erase people's memories, why do we call them muggles as it sounds insulting, why don't we use magic to help them if its not a disease, dangerous or a bad thing, et cetera, et cetera. She doesn't like the answers or that I don't know the answers and then gets mad and doesn't talk to me for a few weeks again. I suppose its a start though, right?"

"Yeah," Scorpius offered although personally he thought any muggle who considered magic a disease wasn't worth knowing, he supposed Professor Ashain had to try since he had two children. He did wonder why the professor didn't just take the kids, he could apparate in and disaperate out with them and his wife would never know, she'd never find them if he kept them in the magical world. They'd be better off than being raised by someone who thought they were diseased by the greatest gift they'd had in the world, really it wasn't kidnapping since since it was their father taking them, was it? It didn't have to be forever, just until Skye stopped being unreasonable.

He spent the rest of the day with Calderon, naturally cleaning and getting into a discussion on muggle and magical views. Calderon admitted he dressed like a muggle so that people would assume he was muggle-born and not ask about his parentage, he hadn't actually spent a lot of time with them due to his magic having to come out and preferring to remain in the magical world so people would think him mad rather than needed to be burned at the stake - he didn't seem to realize muggles hadn't done that for years - but didn't know a lot about their views on magic beyond muggle parents of magical children who he delivered the acceptance letters to. He did mention though that some muggle parents of magical children had bad reactions to it, in extreme cases the Ministry of Magic actually had to intervene to protect the child. It didn't improve his opinions of muggles any.

His detention took a long time, as they were spring cleaning apparently although Calderon got them some food from the kitchens when Scorpius said he'd rather stay, he'd prefer to put off having to see his not-friends again. He was surprised to find the Gryffindor Common Rooms ablaze in Freddie's celebratory party when he got back, somehow he'd managed to forget about it but he wasn't interested in loud crowds so he tried to sneak up to his room. James was standing by the entrance to his dormitory with his cronies, they alone didn't seem to be celebrating.

"Not staying to roll in your glory?" James sneered glaring at him with a look of intense hatred.

"No. I don't want glory," Scorpius muttered and James somehow managed to look more angry, "what is your problem? You're on the team too, _you_ won as well, its a _team_ game or is there just no James Potter in team?"

"You're a psycho who cheated your way onto the team and cheated those other teams into losing, its not right. You can fool everyone else but I see you for what you are, a monster hiding behind a pretty little boy. You're dead inside. Heartless."

"You really want to talk about cheating? Don't think I don't know that you keep trying to hit me on purpose," Scorpius pointed out, hating how hurt he felt by James' words. He wanted to cry but he knew tears wouldn't fall, he hadn't cried since Marvin died, maybe it had turned him into a monster who couldn't cry and just failed at everything or even when he succeeded it wasn't good enough.

"Just trying to show the world what you are, anyone not cheating would've been hit by now."

"So what if I dodge them I'm a cheater but if I get hit then I'm incompetent?"

"Something like that," James snarled and his cronies nodded in agreement.

"You're unbelievable. The day of the tryouts I _told_ you that you could be Seeker if you wanted, you could've had anything you wanted if you could've gotten over yourself for five seconds."

"You'd like that wouldn't you, if I _owed_ you."

"Some people like doing nice things without getting anything in return."

"Those people aren't Malfoys."

Scorpius just stalked upstairs, he couldn't think of a comeback to that. He half expected James to stop him but he supposed James would be a fool to try with so many people around and James wasn't that foolish, not were his cronies. He trudged upstairs and stared at his feet, wondering why no wizards had figured out a spell to make the ground swallow you up. He got to his bed and closed all the drapes, he kicked off his shoes and crawled under the covers. He tried to cry but he couldn't, really it was good as it was probably weak and pathetic to cry because you were upset about things James the jerk had said. Marvin would agree, Marvin would - he shoved Marvin out of his mind again, he couldn't think about that.

Thinking about Marvin made him tempted to look at his scarred wrist, they were jet-black now and bulged out of his skin like scabs. The bruising-like pattern had spread, the blackish, purplish green covered about half of his forearm at that point. He knew it wasn't a bruise, bruises healed and scars didn't get worse. He couldn't see about it though, he'd inevitably be asked how he'd gotten it and he couldn't bring himself to talk about the muggles, it was too painful to deal with so it was easier to just shove it into the recesses of his mind where it couldn't hurt him. Having Calderon tell her was just as bad, he didn't want people to know what had happened to him. He was too ashamed, that's why his family had made sure it was out of the papers because it was shameful and it would look bad for them. He'd disappointed them enough just by letting it happen. He was scared of what Madam Pomfrey would say anyway, at the back of his mind he was terrified that she would say it was caused by magic. That would mean it wasn't muggles, magical people were just as bad. The dream-boy would've been right after all, he probably was real and Scorpius had done nothing to help him. He wasn't sure he could cope with that.

Scorpius started noticing a visible change in how the Gryffindors treated him over the final weeks of March, he didn't seem to be universally shunned anymore, Angelo and Reuben even spoke to him on a few occasions. Winning his second game seemed to have proven it wasn't just luck he'd gotten by on or something, he wasn't sure whether to be glad or to think Gryffindors were shallow for only being nicer to him because of his Quidditch ability. At least his parents were proud of him, maybe he wasn't a complete disappointment. He was looking forward to the Easter holidays, although he still felt bad for Michael staying again but Easter wasn't as major as Christmas and also wasn't as long so he hoped it wouldn't be as bad for him, Michael didn't talk about the Christmas holidays much except in gratitude over his gifts.

Molly's fourteenth birthday was just after the Easter holidays began so he gave her her gift for her to open then, the broomstick charm seemed even more appropriate considering their recent victory. Molly was ecstatic about the possibility of them winning the Quidditch Cup, he liked seeing her so happy although he was sure his heart beat a different way around her anyway. She hugged him and thanked him in advance when he gave it to her. Her hair smelled like cherries, it was beautiful. He dreamed of cherries that night, his first actual dream in months, he was in a good mood for once as he fell asleep the day before the Easter holidays. It wouldn't last.


	68. I: Forget Me Not

Scorpius woke up early on the day they were set to leave for the Easter holidays, only Michael was already awake and reading - or rather rereading - one of his books on healing magic. He said hello and they chatted while Scorpius packed up his stuff for Easter, mostly Michael enthusiastically telling him all about healing magic. The others started getting up too and having more trouble packing than Scorpius, Reuben seemed to think dumping everything into your trunk in a giant heap was going to fit everything and Michael graciously offered to help. Michael was the only one in the dormitory not going back again but he seemed to do the most packing as Angelo asked for help too, not that Michael seemed to mind but it seemed wrong to go to breakfast without him so Scorpius waited. Reuben also waited for Angelo's to be done before the pair thanked Michael and headed off the Great Hall, Albus had tried to do his himself but was having trouble fitting everything in and grumbling they needed to charm the trunks to be bigger so Michael ended up redoing it all but made it all fit perfectly, without magic.

Then they finally went to breakfast. The Great Hall was emptier than usual, most people seemed to already be halfway through their food or already finished. Abby and Rose were still there though, sitting together with nearly empty plates as the trio joined them. Both girls looked surprised.

"Erm... what are you doing?" Rose guestioned glaring at him and Michael, "can't you see we're sitting here? Go sit somewhere else."

"Rose!" Albus protested.

"What? It doesn't bother you that the Malfoy and... whatever his name is, are sitting with us?"

"Of course it doesn't! They're my friends."

"Since when?" Abby wondered looking puzzled.

"I don't know, awhile, most of the year," Albus pointed out and looked confused but Scorpius had a sinking feeling he knew what had happened, "what is up with you, Abby?"

"What's up with me? You're the one with secret friends."

"How is it a secret? You're friends with them too! And-"

"You didn't happen to see Varanian this morning, did you?" Michael interrupted and from the look on Albus' face it seemed to click in his mind too.

"Well yes," Rose said brightly, "he gave us ten points each for Gryffindor for outstanding effort in class. He's such a great headmaster to notice things like that, we must be really important and smart for him to bother with first years."

"And suddenly I'm not hungry anymore," Albus commented shoving the plate aside and a look of horror crossed his face as he glanced at Scorpius, lowering his voice, "you... you don't think he's going to try to alter our memories too?"

"I don't... I don't know," Scorpius admitted suddenly feeling terrified, "we... we should go find Calderon, Calderon doesn't agree with altering memories. Varanian can't do it as long as we're with him. We just need to avoid Varanian until we get to the train, then our memories are safe."

"Calderon, good idea, let's go," Albus nodded frantically as he started to get up.

"What about Abby and Rose?" Michael whispered.

"They wouldn't understand right now, we have to leave them. Maybe Calderon will be able to reverse it later but for now we just need to hide," Scorpius told them and glanced to the teacher's table, Calderon wasn't there but neither was Varanian, nearly half seemed to be done already.

"What are you whispering about?" Rose complained as they got up to go.

"Sorry, we have to go now," Albus commented, "see you later."

They tried to leave in a fast walk but they were running by the time they were in the corridor, terrified of Varanian appearing around every turn, every bend, every corner, every doorway. They could make it. They _had_ to make it. As they came out into the Grand Staircase though, Scorpius spotted Varanian coming out from the corridor they needed to go down. He grabbed his friends arms and hauled them in the direction of the stairs instead, they just had to stay away from him, he couldn't threaten them if they didn't see him and he couldn't erase their memories either. They tried to keep behind the people to obscure Varanian's view of them if he looked up, as they got to the fourth floor the staircase to the next decided to move before they could get on it. Albus kicked the bannister in frustration and Scorpius risked a glance down, Varanian met his eyes and Scorpius shoved his friends into the corridor.

"What are we going to do? Do we run? Do we hide? Do we split up? Do we give up?" Albus wondered hopelessly and Scorpius was surprised to see tears in his eyes, "I don't want to lose my memory. I don't want to forget."

"Maybe we should split up, he can't go three different directions are once and we'd be faster alone," Michael offered desperately as they wracked their minds for ideas, "or I could be a decoy, since I'm staying he's probably not after me."

"Maybe we should try to get to Gryffindor Tower for the invisibility cloak?" Scorpius said, "he can't find us if he can't see us."

"Why didn't I think of that?!" Albus moaned slapping his hand to his forehead. Scorpius had a plan forming in his mind as he started checking the doors but they were all locked in preparation for the holidays, knowing time was off the essence he took out his wand.

"_Alohomora_," Scorpius whispered and the door opened before turning back to the others, "okay so... so here's the plan, Michael I'm sorry but if you would distract Varanian then that would be great, I don't think he's after your memories so with any luck even if he gets you then you'll be okay. Albus, one of us goes to get the cloak and the other stays here so we have some point of rendezvous. Sound good?"

"Yep," Michael nodded in agreement as did Albus, "if Albus hides then we can lock the door and Scorpius can open it again when he gets back, Varanian'll be less likely to try a locked door plus Scorpius knows the castle better."

"Good idea, both of you," Albus agreed as he started to head into the room but paused, "but one more thing, Scorpius if I do get caught and he alters my memory... keep the cloak. Don't let him get you too, we'll never find a way to stop him if he makes us all forget and that could be useful. I... I trust you. Some of us have to keep fighting. Promise me that."

"Fine I promise but it'll work," Scorpius said firmly as he shoved Albus into the room and locked it behind him, "let's go. I know a passageway off-"

It was just in time too as Varanian entered the corridor and the pair bolted round the end of it before he could say anything, he knew they'd been seen though. He opened the secret passageway and turned back to wish Michael look but his friend shoved him into it, it sealed behind him and Scorpius ran again. He didn't stop running until he was back in the Common Rooms, he searched Albus' trunk and took the cloak, threw it over himself as he hurried back under it. He was afraid to run with it on but he walked as fast as he could back to the fourth floor corridor, his heart was pounding but he was so close then they'd be safe.

"Please!" Albus was sobbing as Scorpius came out into the corridor, he could heard hear it coming from the room, "I don't want to lose my memories! I don't want to forget my friends! Varanian, please, don't do this, I won't tell anyone. I won't! I didn't over Christmas, please, _please!_"

"The only reason I didn't erase your memories was because I thought I might still need you to complete the wards but its finished now, I was always going to do this, I couldn't risk you all knowing forever," Varanian was saying and Scorpius took out his wand, prepared to protect his friend but he reached the door just in time to see Varanian cast the spell, "_obliviate_."

He was too late. A green light shot out of Varanian's wand and struck Albus, tears were streaming down his friend's face, Albus opened his mouth as if to scream but the spell hit him before he could vocalize it. An instant later Albus was standing there just looking confused, he put his hand to his cheek and seemed surprised by the wetness. His face flushed with embarrassment as he hastily wiped them away.

"Are you alright?" Varanian asked in a tone resembling concern as he put away his wand, "you're crying."

"I um... I don't know," Albus offered before laughing nervously, "just sad to be leaving Hogwarts for the holidays, I guess. I'm sorry."

"As long as you're right."

"Yeah I'm fine, thanks. I should go now, have a good Easter, Sir," Albus said as he headed for the door, Varanian wished him the same and Scorpius hastily stepped aside to let him pass.

"Three down, one to go," Varanian spoke aloud to the empty room before clutching at his head again, "when are people going to learn that its easier if you don't fight it?"

Varanian shook his head of jet-black hair and also left, not giving Scorpius a second glance or any indication that he'd seen him. Scorpius just stood there for a long time, a lump in his throat. Finally his legs started moving again, worried about Michael but he couldn't find him, no matter how much he wandered around the castle, it was a big castle so it wasn't exactly easier to find someone. Michael could be anywhere.

He had to give up when everyone started heading to the carriages to leave. Varanian was there. He seemed to have realized the same thing as Scorpius on the futility of how they were going around searching, instead he was going to wait where he knew that Scorpius had to be if he was to leave. Calderon was there, going with the last carriage as usual to make sure there were no problems.

Scorpius had an idea and just started walking the path himself, keeping to the side of road out of the way of the carriages and Thestrals, as invisible as the Thestrals were to the majority of the students. It was a sunny day, too sunny for how miserable he felt. He waited until the last carriage came along with Calderon sitting up front with the Thestrals as usual, they were faster than he was walking. He took off the cloak and stepped into the road, Calderon called the great beasts to a halt and jumped down to greet him looking immensely confused.

"Hey Scor, fancy seeing you here," Calderon commented cheerfully but looked at him in askance.

"Varanian was trying to erase my memory like he did to Rose, Abby and Albus. I had to get away without him seeing," Scorpius explained and a blaze of red lights swarmed around Calderon.

"Altering them again?"

"No. He erased Albus'. I don't think they'll get them back. I don't want to forget," Scorpius whispered and Calderon patted him on the shoulder comfortingly.

"Come on then," Calderon offered and helped him into the carriage, it was a bunch of older kids again but he recognized Hal who smiled nervously when he saw him, he squeezed by to let Scorpius sit in the already cramped carriage.

Scorpius just watched the Thestrals and tried keep the cloak out of sight under his robes - he hadn't had a chance to change with everything. Hal made awkward feeble attempts at conversation before seemed to realize that Scorpius wanted to sit in silence, he obediently went quiet and didn't say a word for the rest of the journey. They reached the platform and everyone departed the carriage, he clung to Calderon's shadow for fear of Varanian randomly appearing. He saw Abby, Albus and Rose together on the platform, the trio shot him dark looks when they noticed him watching and climbed onto the train.

"Calderon... do you think that you could give them their memories back?" Scorpius asked of the assistant cautiously but Calderon shook his head sadly.

"I'm sorry, Scor, last time I tried to mess with memories it err... didn't go so good," Calderon told him.

"What happened?"

"Well me and my err... well we were trying to erase our memories, we thought if we erased our memories then we'd be normal and be able to magic like they wanted. Stupid I know. But it backfired majorly and instead of forgetting it gave us near perfect memories, that's why I have such a good memory," Calderon explained and his grandfather's question popped back into Scorpius' mind again, "people are tricky things, their minds and their bodies. Healing is really hard and so is anything to do with your mind, if I tried to undo what Varanian's done then I'd probably make it worse. I'll talk to him, see if he'll consider reversing it... if you can do that. And to tell him to leave you alone, I won't let him take your memories."

"Thanks," Scorpius offered gratefully with a weak smile, "and could you check on Michael? I don't know if Varanian erased his mind too but I couldn't find him."

"Sure."

"And um... one more thing. My grandfather... he erm... he wanted me to tell you that he thinks he remembers you. If you were... you know... tortured. He says he thinks there were four of you in the room, him, you, Rodolphus Lestrange and a fourth person," Scorpius asked awkwardly trying to remember and hoping it wouldn't upset Calderon but he seemed okay then and he had a feeling his grandfather would be mad if he hadn't asked, he'd asked for an answer in every letter he'd sent, "the fourth person tried to kill them and you saved their lives but he didn't know it then. He wants to know if you know who the fourth person was because he can't remember well, he wants to know if you know their name or what they look like."

"No," Calderon said quietly shaking his head as a dark expression came over his face, blue lights danced around him, "he's got me confused with someone else... I'm sorry."

"Okay. Thanks. I'm sorry, he was just really desperate."

"It's alright. You better get on the train now or it'll leave without you," Calderon pointed out still looking gloomy and gestured him towards the train, hardly anyone was left on the platform then, "try have a good Easter."

"Take care," Scorpius offered and turned back to hug Calderon goodbye, Calderon hugged him back for once.

"You too."

Scorpius managed a weak smile that Calderon returned before he left the assistant to board the train, Hal was going on too and he asked if he could share a compartment with him which Hal immediately agreed to. He glanced back to Calderon who was looking at the arm that bore the scars with a melancholy expression, Scorpius regretted asking in the first place.

He got a compartment with Hal that they shared alone, Hal explaining he had stopped being friends with his friends after Scorpius went missing and never even tried to make new ones. He took his Prefect duties and his studies very seriously, he was very dedicated to that. Scorpius couldn't decide whether it was a good or bad thing, Hal was definitely a lot nicer and working hard was good but he also seemed to have lost all his confidence, he looked guilty or sad all the times Scorpius had seen him around and it was even more noticeable up close.

Scorpius wasn't sure what to make of it but he supposed it distracted him from Varanian and his friends for a long time, Hal insisted on buying Scorpius something off the trolley or rather looked on the verge of tears when Scorpius refused so he relented, it was a long journey and he hadn't eaten any breakfast after all. It alternated between equally awkward bouts of conversation and silence, Hal seemed to struggle to think of things to say whereas before he'd had trouble not saying anything. Scorpius thought it was strange how people changed, he and Hal were both different people then they'd been two years ago.

He left as quickly as he could with his parents once they arrived, still afraid of someone noticing the invisibility cloak he had. His parents were in good spirits and still glowing about his second victory on the Quidditch pitch, he tried to be happy too but it was hard when he'd just lost three or possibly four of his friends. He'd have to go back to school in a week and he just hoped Varanian would decide he could keep his memories, at least until summer then he'd have to try avoid him again. He didn't want to risk Michael and Calderon's lives by telling on him then, Varanian's secrets were safe for Easter which the evil maniac would know if he'd thought to ask instead of obliterating some of Albus' memories.

He feigned fatigue so he'd be allowed to go bed undisturbed, hiding the invisibility cloak inside his pillow. He was tempted to just sneak it back into Albus' belongings when he got back since Albus no longer remembered allowing him to have it but he might need it to get away from Varanian again. Besides he had promised Albus, Albus had made him promise... he felt the overwhelming urge to cry again as he lay down on his bed but again tears wouldn't come. A wave of guilt crashed against him, why hadn't he let Albus get the cloak? It was his after all and Albus was a faster runner or had them go together, why had he thought they were better off split up? They should've just stuck together, everyone gets to win or everyone gets to lose.

But then Varanian would win. He couldn't let Varanian determination replaced his guilt, Varanian wouldn't get away with the things he'd done. If it was the last thing Scorpius did then he would make sure Varanian got what he deserved.

* * *

_**Author's Note:** Thanks to Lucifersdaughter for reviewing!_


	69. I: The Ties That Bind

_**Thanks to:** SDF, Beccax95, Winged-panther1, Lucifersdaughter, Aya Diefair and Guest for reviewing! _

_**Author's Note:** Okay to all your questions:_  
**_Couldn't Varanian have just used Michaels's life to threaten them again?_**  
_He was paranoid they wouldn't take his threats seriously with his health issues  
__**And wouldn't their families find it weird that they suddenly hate Scorpius?**_  
_Rose hasn't seen her parents much because Ron and Hermione have been busy working because of the Shadows so she's mostly she and Hugo have been left with Ginny, Ginny assumes Albus doesn't like talking about Scorpius because of James' hatred for him and Neville does find it weird but is thinking they just had a falling out like over Christmas and will resolve it again after Easter_  
**_And what of their memory has been erased?_**  
_Everything about the blood runes and things related to that, such as their hatred for Varanian and their friendship with Scorpius and Michael as they became friends originally because of that and talked about Varanian and the blood runes a lot. They remember Scorpius and Michael but not being friends with them and not most of their conversations, they don't know about Varanian injuring Scorpius or Calderon either_  
**_Was the 4th person perhaps related to Calderon? _****_Which would mean he is related to the Shadow Lord?_**  
_No comment. Calderon's connection, or lack of, to the Shadow Master and Tommy and all that will be addressed in the finale_  
**_But maybe their families will be suspicious as to why they've forgotten Scorpius?_**  
_They haven't forgotten Scorpius, just their friendship with him  
**Are you male or female author just wondered?**  
Take a guess ;)  
_

* * *

"Hey Lucius," Brutus' voice said from behind him and Lucius nearly jumped out of his skin in shock, Soul Eaters didn't usually appear in his bedroom. In the middle of the morning. When his whole family were home. And he was halfway through getting dressed. It was lucky he was decent.

"Are you insane?!" Lucius hissed and went over to lock the door, passing Brutus who smelled of perfume again and now had combed back extremely dark auburn hair, similar to his brother but nor as long, "everyone's about, even Scorpius is home for the holidays. Do you want to be seen?"

"Don't worry, its fine, I checked and they're not around at the moment."

"Well good to know. I am going to my meeting with your grandfather, I was just putting off getting out of bed because my head is killing me."

"Yeah unfortunately you just have to live with that," Brutus said with a shrug as he scratched at his stubble, wandering over to Lucius' wardrobe, "headaches are an unfortunate side effect of sharing your body with a Specter for an extended period of time, gets worse the longer you have it. Be glad its dormant or it'd be worse. Or if you were fighting it more."

"Oh joy," Lucius muttered sarcastically as Brutus started going through his wardrobe and tossing some of Lucius' clothes onto the bed, "I really don't think my clothes are going to fit you, you're rather more muscular than I am."

"They're not for me! What you're wearing isn't up to Corvinus' high standards."

"Not up to his standards?"

"He won't let you in if you're not dressed well enough. Be glad you're not related to him or the standards would be higher, you actually get off pretty light in comparison to what he'd expect from me," Brutus explained in a growl and went on to lecture him on things to do and not to do that, specific details on stupid things like the pronunciation of certain words and things like how Corvinus prefers you to hold a glass. All the while having Lucius change clothes to see what looks best, they'd fallen out of society since the Second Wizarding War so his finest clothes dated back to Draco and Astoria's wedding which was still fifteen years prior which made them slightly ill fitting and out of date. It was a ridiculous amount of things to remember for one stupid old man, "you got all that?"

"Yes," Lucius lied, he had drifted out a bit near the end but he basically got the gist, Corvinus' standards were impossibly high, "it might help if I knew what I was after him for."

"I was just getting to that. You-"

Brutus stopped mid-sentence at the sound of the door unlocking, Lucius' head snapped towards it in time to see it open and reveal Narcissa standing there with her wand out looking extremely concerned. Excuses for Brutus being in his room ran through his mind as he glanced back to the Soul Eater but Brutus was gone, he would admit the soundlessness of the shadow way of teleporting was a plus, he looked back to his wife as she came over to him and put away her wand.

"Why was the door locked?" Narcissa asked worriedly rather than angrily.

"Because I wanted privacy to change," Lucius invented.

"And you thought closing the door wasn't enough?"

"No... in case Scorpius came in without looking."

"Right," Narcissa said carefully but didn't look like she was really convinced, "I thought I heard voices."

"I was just talking to myself. Practicing my speech for when I meet Corvinus... I want to make a good impression."

"You're still going? What about your head?"

"This is important and Corvinus is very particular, I can't get out of it on account of a headache."

"Its important, why the sudden interest in Corvinus Ashain?"

"Because... Because..." Lucius struggled for a reasonable answer, "I'm sick of being alone with just us and occasionally Astoria's sister. I miss being around people and holding conversations with other adults, I feel cut off from everyone and I want us to be part of society again, to have friends."

"And you think befriending another social outcast is going to improve our status somehow?" Narcissa wondered with a raised eyebrow.

"At least we're in the same boat. What's with all the questions anyway?"

"I'm just worried about," Narcissa sighed and reached out to hold his arm, the one branded with the Soul Eater symbol that he kept bandaged at all times in front of her, "that wound_ still_ hasn't healed and those headaches, you won't even see a healer about it. You should be worried about your health, not your social life."

"I'm fine, Narcissa."

"You're not fine, Lucius, I'm really worried. I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you."

"You'd be fine now leave me alone, I have to get ready still," Lucius snapped harsher than he wanted to but he knew she'd leave if he was like that with her, a hurt look crossed her face but predictably she left him alone without another word and closed the door behind her. He'd have to make it up to her somehow, he sighed miserably but she was better off away in the dark about the shadows so they wouldn't have a reason to hurt her, to hurt any of the family he was trying so hard to protect.

"Bit harsh to your wife, eh?" Brutus wondered and Lucius jumped again at the silent return, they were going to give him a heart attack one of the days.

"Not like I have a choice if I want her to leave us alone, suppose you wouldn't understand," Lucius sighed again before the perfume scent made him wonder, "or do you? Does perfume woman know about Soul Eaters?"

"Oh hell yeah," Brutus commented and laughed, "she knows."

"She's one too, isn't she?"

"You could say that. Sal's really amazing, smart and beautiful and she actually cares about me..." Brutus told him, his face lighting up as he spoke before seeming to change his mind and shake it off as he became more serious again, "so what you're looking for from Corvinus is a blood rune orb, try bring it up after awhile and then the Master will tell you what to say through the Specter. We have to go now though."

"Can't I say goodbye to family first?"

"If you don't show up on time he won't let you in, not if your reason for being late is saying goodbye to your family. Plus you need to take my hand to be teleported."

Lucius sighed again and offered his hand to Brutus, Lucius was both pleased that the teleporting no longer bothered him and upset, like he was used to being a vassal for the shadows. He found himself outside a tall and long beautiful white marble wall, Brutus simply pointed him in the direction to walk, wished him luck and vanished into the shadows. Lucius managed not to sigh again and wonder why Brutus hadn't just took him to the entrance as he walked, occasionally passing a pillar of marble in the wall to break it up with marble vultures on top of each peering down on him with their cold unseeing eyes.

He reached the entrance, two huge black barred iron gates with jagged spikes lining the top, looking through the bars at the distant mansion reminded him of looking through prison bars. In the center of the bars was a large circle with an 'A' inside it.. He heard the snap of fingers and the gates groaned, creaking loudly as they opened to allow him entry, a filthy looking house-elf seeming to be the one who'd done it. It was a very gray-skinned house-elf - or maybe it was just dirt - with hollow eyes devoid of hope, it gestured with a hand missing all but two fingers for him to follow. Lucius entered the grounds and the house-elf clicked its fingers again, the gates groaned but obediently closed with a surprisingly loud bang that seemed to frighten the birds because a swarm of around twelve vultures scattered from the distant mansion and started cawing ominously as they circled the murky sky.

Lucius followed the silent and stoic house-elf along the gray graveled path, directly in the center of the grassy grounds. The grass seemed overgrown and unkempt but didn't touch the path, it seemed a very bland green almost as if all the color had been sucked out of it. The mansion itself was fairly distant but he could make out the looming dark shape, it was far larger than Lucius' home which irritated him somewhat, he already had an intense loathing for Corvinus and he hadn't even met him yet. He didn't want him to have anything good. As he got closer he realized there was a massive rectangle of water with an extravagant black marble fountain in the center, a cluster of black marble vultures with water coming out of their open mouths which were positioned in an impressively intricate pattern. The gravel path went around either side, the house-elf picked the right.

It took them a while to walk around the fountain, it was incredible massive and as he walked he realized that the vulture sculptures were moving to reposition themselves ever so often, taking it in turns to be in certain positions. Lucius tried not be impressed as they continued on, finally making it around where the gravel paths rejoined on the far side of the fountain and continued forwards centrally directly to the door. The mansion itself loomed over them, blocking out whatever sun there'd been through the clouds and casting them in shadows. The stone was such a dark gray it looked black in that light, it had a very old feel to it, older even than Lucius' home but also eerie with more decorative black marble vultures, also gargoyles. The entrance were double doors, carved decoratively on dark Ash wood with an ornate vulture door knocker that blinked at them as they got close enough. The house-elf just opened the doors though, holding them open for Lucius to enter.

The house-elf closed the door behind them before leading him through the mansion, it did have a feeling of grandeur about it but it also felt cold and dark despite the lighting, Lucius felt very unwelcome. All the pictures were moving and looked to be by famous wizard artists, none of them were portraits though, it was all landscapes with flowers blowing in the wind or abstract shapes moving and all had intricately carved golden frames. There were black marble columns lining the walls and pedestals in the exact center of each bearing some vase or sculpture or other expensive-looking items. There were no photographs, Lucius noted, no family portraits or photographs like they had at home. The house-elf still didn't say anything as it led him through a seemingly endless maze of the corridors, all the doors off to the sides were dark Ash wood in a similar design to the front door but singular and all were closed.

Finally they came to an open one, it led to a huge parlor - at the very least twice the size as Lucius' largest room. But also emptier, the walls were virtually the same as the hallway but there was a vast emptiness in the room. Directly across from them was a huge ornate black marble fireplace, ablaze with red flames with two crimson armchairs beside it and a small dark Ash wood table in between them with intricately carved table legs. There was actually a portrait above the fire, of the same man who was sitting in the right armchair.

Corvinus Ashain actually looked good for a man in his early nineties, he still had a full head of the same extremely dark auburn that his grandsons shared with a lone streak of silver flowing through the long-ish combed back hair on the right side. He had a rather full mustache and goatee that shared his natural hair color still and the same dark chestnut eyes as his grandsons, they looked extremely sharp. His facial features themselves weren't much like his grandsons though, deep-set eyes, aquiline nose and a very square jaw. He wasn't massively overweight but he was noticeably rotund as he sat in his finery, his chubby fingers seemed to have at least one ring on every finger, the most striking was his signet ring. His left hand was on the arm of the chair and his right clutched around the black sphere at the head of his cane.

"Why Lucius Malfoy," Corvinus greeted him coldly and crisply, eying Lucius as if eying an insect, "nice of you to arrive on time. Why don't you take a seat?"

"Very gracious of you," Lucius commented untruthfully as he sat down in the surprisingly comfortable armchair, "what a wonderful estate you have."

"Why thank you, its been in my family for generations," Corvinus informed him before giving the house-elf a dark look who seemed to take that as a silent command to summon an incredibly expensive bottle of liquor and two glasses, pouring some into each and handing one to each of them, "I took the liberty of selecting a beverage within your price-range, wouldn't want to shock your palette with something a little richer than you're used to."

"Thank you, most considerate," Lucius told him in a courteous lie, managing not to look visibly offended at the insinuation he was poor. Corvinus inclined his head in acknowledgement and smiled smugly as he sipped his drink, he didn't say anything though but didn't take his piercing eyes from Lucius. Lucius recalled Brutus saying that Corvinus was perfectly content to stare you for long periods of time just to make you uncomfortable, he should make conversation to avoid that and throw him off his game if possible, "so... did you know your grandson is one of my grandson's teachers at Hogwarts?"

"Why would I know that? Atticus was disowned years ago when he became an Auror and killed his brother, good riddance I say, I never liked either of them. Or their father. Or their grandmother. If you want my advice then take your grandson out of school and homeschool him, you lose the influence and control you have over the young when you let them out of your sights like that. You don't want to lose control of him."

"I'll... bear that in mind."

"Is your wife still alive?"

"Yes."

"A pity," Corvinus commented sympathetically.

"Why a pity that Narcissa is still alive?" Lucius wondered trying not to feel angry at the implication.

"Why my apologies, I didn't realize you actually cared about the sister of a blood traitor. I only meant that she's outlived her usefulness, she already bore you an heir and her tainted bloodline really means your image would be better without her now."

"My image is perfectly fine with her," Lucius snapped before he could stop himself and Corvinus closed his eyes and leaned back smugly, smirking at having upset him.

"I know, I was just seeing what kind of man you were and now I'm even more sure that you've been lying to me, Lucius, very naughty," Corvinus told him in a patronizing tone as his eyes flicked open again, "so why don't you just tell me what the Shadows want before I throw you out?"

"What?!" Lucius burst out in shock as he started to panic.

"Did you actually think I was stupid? Your letters ignore when I insult you and agree with me on everything, in person its harder not to be offended and so you defended your wife, I can practically see your dislike of me glinting in your eyes. That all tells me that you were lying in your letters and just trying to gain my trust, most likely because you want something from me and as I'm a collector of sorts I assume you want some artifact I possess. I can't see any reason why you would have a sudden interest in that unless you're being coerced and what group have been dominating the paper with their killings and thefts of artifacts? Oh yes, the Shadows."

"Your blood rune orb. They want your blood rune orb."

"Why?" Corvinus asked cautiously, losing his smugness as he clutched his cane tighter.

"Err... I don't know," Lucius admitted and lowered his voice, "some help would be nice."

"So they send an errand boy without even telling him the errand? Ugh. Tell your master to use a smarter messenger next time."

"I-" Lucius opened his mouth to reply but he felt himself being shoved mentally aside, the control of his body wrested from his grasp as easily as snatching a toy from a feeble child as the Master took over. He felt his mouth smirk and his legs cross themselves, "tell me yourself."

"Who am I addressing?" Corvinus wondered but looked intrigued more than anything.

"You may call me the Shadow Master."

"Interesting way of communication, I don't think I've seen the like before. Its not the Imperius curse?"

"Does it look the Imperius curse, Corvinus?"

"No," Corvinus admitted and continued to gaze at Lucius, no longer like an insect but like a fascinating object he'd just discovered, "so what did you want with my blood rune orb? I have enough money to not care how much you offer me for it."

"Well good because I wasn't going to offer you money," the Master continued speaking with Lucius' mouth, he truly despised the feeling, "I wasn't going to offer you anything."

"Why on Earth would I give it to you for no reason?"

"To see it in use."

"In use?"

"I have a complete wardstone circle, an obelisk in place and a somewhat willing sacrifice. The previous orb was lost so all I need is a new orb to do what no one has done since Before the Common Era."

"Really?" Corvinus wondered looking somewhere between excited and amazed.

"If it wasn't true then I wouldn't need the orb, would I? It's all in place. All I need is the orb. You just need to give it to me, to decide whether you'd rather die clutching a virtually useless ball or give it up to see the power of ancient times unleashed," the Master continued and got Lucius to his feet, "time is of the essence though. The more time passes the more chance of my plans being discovered."

"Wait!" Corvinus protested desperately as Lucius' body started to leave, he actually jumped to his feet, "you can have it. But I have conditions."

"Conditions?" the Master sneered disapprovingly with Lucius' mouth.

"I want it back when you're done. And I want you to provide a pensive memory of it in action."

"Fine," the Master agreed and held out Lucius' hand, "give it to me."

"Not yet. I want you to make an Unbreakable Vow so I know you won't go back on your word, if you're really telling the truth about the conditions then you won't have a problem with that."

"There's only two physical bodies here."

"Get Aurelius now!" Corvinus barked at the house-elf and struck it forcefully with his cane, the house-elf bolted. You weren't allowed to do that to house-elves now with the new laws put in place, Lucius had checked, "my son will bind us in our agreement."

They waited for a few minutes and the Master still didn't give Lucius' control of his body, he willed his fingers to flex just because he hated not having control, it was frustrating. The house-elf didn't take too long to return with Aurelius Ashain though, he also looked really good considering he was about sixty, he looked closer in age to his sons than to Lucius who was only a few years older than him. He was easily the best looking of the Ashain bunch and lacked much facial resemblance to any of them but he did have the same extremely dark auburn hair and dark chestnut eyes as his father and sons, only his hair wasn't combed back but hung loose, the wavy locks cascading almost down to his shoulders. His clothes were extremely mismatched in color, clearly not having improved his dress sense since Lucius had bullied him for it in Hogwarts. His eyes widened fearfully when he saw Lucius and hurried over to Corvinus, whispering to him but his ears still picked it up.

"Father, we're not supposed to have guests, they could attack us, Lucius was a Death Eater, he could torture and murder us," Aurelius hissed fearfully, "you put us both in danger, what is wrong with you? Are you going senile or something? We're in danger and he has glowing eyes and its creepy. And he's mean."

"Oh for Merlin's sake, Aurelius," Corvinus snapped, "its was more than twenty years ago you were attacked, get over it already. I'm making an Unbreakable Vow with him and I need you to be the Bonder, think you can manage that or is something so simple above your shameful skill level?"

"I'm not... I'm not doing that, Father. I want him gone."

"The faster you do this, the faster he will be gone."

"Alright, fine," Aurelius reluctantly agreed and whipped out his wand, standing out as it spiraled the entire length of the wand, "do it."

Lucius went to take a step forwards but his body didn't obey him, the Master preferred to hold out Lucius' arm to force Corvinus to come to them. Corvinus took the step forwards and clasped Lucius' wrist, the Master clasped Corvinus' arm in turn and Aurelius moved closer. He shivered violently and gave an unfairly accusing look to Lucius, it wasn't Lucius' fault he was cold or was it? Aurelius pressed the tip of his wand against their clasped hands before Corvinus spoke the first vow.

"Will you return to me the item I am bestowing on you after the task, and only that task, is complete?"

"I will," Lucius heard his voice agree and wondered if it was binding him, the Master or the Specter to the vow. A thin streak of flame snaked its way out of Aurelius' wand and wrapped itself around their clasped hands.

"And will you, show me the memory of the task being completed?"

"I will," Lucius heard his voice agree again, whoever was being bound was now bound anyway, "you can go now, Aurelius."

Aurelius looked like he was about to argue but decided against, either not caring or not wanting to be involved with what they were doing, even by knowing what they were talking about. He gave both men a dark look before hastily hurrying out, Corvinus waited until he was gone before moving. He held up his cane and pulled the ball off the top of it, offering it to Lucius. Was that the orb? Hidden in plain sight, clever. Lucius' hand took the orb and he felt his lips curl into a triumphant smirk, to his surprise the second it touched his skin the orb changed color to gray then back to black then gray then black and kept alternating between the two.

"Why is it doing that?" Corvinus wondered scowling, "its never done that before, its supposed to change to the color of your soul. Its always been black for me. Atticus touched it once when he was a child, I nearly murdered the boy for it, but it turned white for as long as he was holding it. Why is it changing color?"

"It doesn't matter. All that matters is I have an orb, no one can stop me now. Pleasure doing business with you, Corvinus," the Shadow Master said through Lucius' mouth before turning on his heel and starting to walk away but Corvinus called after them, the Shadow Master paused to glance back.

"Maybe we could do it again sometime."

"What was that?"

"Your operation intrigues me. I never wanted to get my hands dirty before with Voldemort because I had too much to lose to put my faith in a half-blood raised by muggles. Now though, I'm an old man, I have everything to gain and nothing to lose."

"I'll bear that in mind. We'll talk again but for now I have much to attend to."

"Fair enough. Good luck. You'll need it with every Auror in England looking for you."

"They're the ones who need the luck," the Shadow Master smirked before leaving without another word.

The Shadow Master didn't return Lucius' control of his body until they were outside of the estate, even after the iron gates slammed shut behind them. Lucius was a prisoner in his own body while the Shadow Master walked for a bit by the wall, walking with a spring in his step that Lucius usually lacked, all the while caressing the orb like it was the important thing in the world. Lucius wondered what it did, what all the was about, he didn't think he'd heard of blood runes before. Brutus stepped from the shadows and the Master offered him the orb with Lucius' hand, he felt his lips curl into a smirk again.

"We need to get this to Varanian as soon as an owl can fly, I need to write the letter from Retsam Wodahs now. Take Lucius to his home then bring it back," the Shadow Master said through Lucius' voice as Brutus took the orb, it turned gray in his deformed hand and remained gray.

"Come on, Lucius, you heard the master," Brutus commented as he offered Lucius his free hand that Lucius took, finding control of his body had been returned as he was taken back to his study.

"Is that the master's name then?" Lucius wondered himself, much preferring his own voice in his own tone of speech, "Retsam Wodahs? I don't recall any Azkaban inmates name Wodahs."

"It's not the master's real name, just an alias, its Shadow Master backwards. I thought of that."

"Oh well done."

"Was that sarcasm?"

"No its very clever," Lucius offered, he'd been trying to improve his relationship with Brutus the few times he'd seen him since New Year's when he wanted something corrected on the letters to Corvinus. He hadn't managed to gleam an incredibly useful amount of information but Brutus was less hostile towards him, "so... do I get to know what the orb does? Or why my grandson's headmaster is being sent it?"

"Its part of our getting past the Hogwarts protection plan, the orb is needed to activate the blood rune magic which will destroy the magic stopping the Specters from being able to not be banished from inside the castle if they step outside whatever or whoever they're inside. You'll get to see it in action soon enough, come June if everything goes to plan."

"I will?"

"Yeah, the master wants you there."

"This won't hurt Scorpius, will it?"

"No. Your grandson will be the safest person there because of the color of his soul."

"Well... good. I almost didn't think Corvinus was going to give it up."

"He's been under the influence by the orb for too long," Brutus said with a smirk and a shake of his head as he stared at the gray ball, "he'd be incapable of not jumping at the chance to see it in action. Stupid smart bastard. Didn't except his last handful of sentences though."

"Wait, I thought of something, since the Shadow Master is writing a letter does that mean I'm not being watched?" Lucius thought suddenly and Brutus looked up.

"The Master doesn't watch you every second of the day, the master is human and takes breaks to eat and sleep and do other stuff if necessary, the Specter knows to rip you to shreds it you do anything majorly threatening. For longer periods of time like sleep Rabastan usually takes over keeping an eye on everything or I do sometimes, bloody difficult. Rabastan's asleep now though and I'm here so yeah, no one's watching you but the Specter itself. I should be getting back though, take care."

Brutus vanished into the shadows and Lucius quickly hurried to where he'd hidden the letter, assuming it didn't fall under the majorly threatening category, there was something about Varanian he was sure. The first part was interesting about the blood rune discs, he assumed that was part of the spell that they'd mentioned as already being completed although he wasn't sure he approved of using eleven year olds as victims of it or maybe it needed eleven year olds. It was the final but that horrified him, a paragraph about Scorpius, _his_ grandson, about Varanian using a magic spell to slash Scorpius' face and later feet. He threw the letter into the fire feeling hurt and angry and desperate to see his grandson, he stalked over to Scorpius' room.

_What good is confronting him going to accomplish?_ Brutus' voice questioned in his mind and Lucius hesitated.

"That evil bastard attacked my grandson! I'm not going to just do nothing!" Lucius screeched.

_You have to_

"What part of he attacked my grandson don't you understand?! I saw you kill a man for attacking your brother!"

_When this is all over you can kill Varanian if you still want to but for now we need him. I really don't want to hurt you_

"I hate this!"

_I noticed_

"Still hearing voices?" Scorpius wondered popping his head out of his room.

"Err... no," Lucius said slowly feeling a wave of guilt, _he_ was the one who'd pushed for Scorpius to go to Hogwarts and Scorpius had been hurt. It was _his_ fault. He hugged Scorpius close in some useless gesture to make up for putting him in harm's way, his grandson's neutral expression breaking for a moment of surprise before Lucius dropped his voice to a whisper, "you know you can tell us anything right? We'll always believe you and we'll always love you, we just want you to be safe with no one to hurt you. But adults don't know everything even though I know sometimes we act like we do, sometimes we can only help us if you talk to us, tell us what's wrong. We just want to help you, Scorpius. If there's anything or anyone - _anyone_ - giving you trouble or hurting you then you have to say something, do you understand? Please."

"I understand..." Scorpius began but trailed off. Lucius waited for a long time, both wishing he could see the expression on Scorpius' face and terrified of breaking the embrace. His heart was pounding for fear of having his soul torn apart but nothing happened before finally Scorpius answered but it was a lie, "but there's nothing. Absolutely nothing."


	70. I: In Memoriam

_**Thanks to:** Aya Diefair, Diddleymaz, The Guest and Lucifersdaughter for reviewing!_

**_To Diddleymaz: _**_Dark chapter wa__rning_

**_Questions: _**  
**_So Varanian is in with the Master then?_**  
_I'm sorry, I can't answer that right now but you will find out really soon I promise_  
**_Oh okay please say they will get them back?_**  
_Maybe, maybe not, you have to wait and see I'm afraid_

* * *

Scorpius didn't have a good Easter. He was too wracked with guilt for being the only one to get away with his memories, afraid his friends would never get their memories back or that he would lose his too. Varanian had reversed what he'd done to Abby and Rose before but somehow Scorpius doubted he would return them again when he got back, he'd looked up 'obliviate' and it was debated whether it was reversible or not. It wasn't debated that memory charms on underage children and teenagers were potentially harmful to their still developing minds, trying to reverse it could actually do more damage than good. The spell caster had the best chance of reversing it safely, reversing your own magic was a lot easier than undoing the damage someone else's had done.

Mostly he pretended to not be feeling well or to oversleep so he couldn't have to fake happiness so they'd think he was okay or talk about the friends who'd forgotten him. The only thing that had cheered him up marginally was Molly's letter of thanks for his gift, at least she remembered him. He hoped Michael was okay and Calderon, he was afraid Varanian would hurt them or that he'd go back and find they'd forgotten him too. He was also on edge since his grandfather's strange outburst, he'd actually thought that Lucius could have somehow figured out about Varanian. That was the last thing he needed, for his grandfather to think he'd failed the Malfoy standards again by being so weak. He still thought his grandfather was being a bit strange around him again, maybe his headaches were effecting his mind? He did seem to be acting stranger every time Scorpius saw him and Scorpius didn't care what he said, he was pretty sure his grandfather was hearing voices still while Scorpius' stayed gone. He said as much to Yip while he was helping the house-elf with breakfast for the final time.

"I shouldn't speak ill of Master Lucius," Yip said and lost all traces of his usual cheerfulness, "but... well... let's just say he's had some shady company of late."

"What do you mean?" Scorpius wondered with a scowl, "do you mean his sudden interest in Corvinus Ashain?"

"Maybe, I haven't caught a name. It disturbs me."

Scorpius was even more worried about his grandfather than usual after that, it was just what he needed because he didn't have enough to worry about. He just sighed and went to breakfast with his family before they'd know he helped the house-elves, his parents tried to draw conversation out of him but he couldn't muster the words. By eleven o'clock though he was back on the train and trying not to worry about it, he got his own compartment as Calderon wasn't on the train again. He almost forgot about the memory charm when his friends looked in for somewhere to sit, their faces gave him a look of disgust as they left to find another one. He knew it wasn't their fault, he knew he shouldn't be upset but he couldn't stop the stab of hurt in his heart at that, his wished he could cry. Dom asked to join him as everywhere else was full, they didn't make much conversation thankfully and Scorpius spent the whole journey in misery.

Seeing the Thestrals cheered him up a bit when they got to the carriages, he didn't know why he was so drawn to them but he was. He went in the last carriage with Dom and a handful of other 'loner' students who hadn't friends to go with or their friends' carriages had been full, they didn't talk much between them either. He was anxious when he got to the Great Hall at possibly being forgotten, Michael was watching their friends with a guilty expression but sitting apart them and didn't look away when Scorpius sat down opposite him. Had Michael had his memory erased or was he just lost in thought? Scorpius was terrified of asking.

"What are you looking at, thief?" Rose snapped when she caught Michael looking and the mudblood's face flushed with embarrassment as his head went back to his plate.

"Wait, thief?" Michael wondered and looked back with his eyes without moving his head.

"I know you took it, you were the one who packed my trunk after all," Albus hissed leaning across to speak to Michael, "the cloak better be back with my possessions by tomorrow or I'll set my brother on you. I don't know why you took it but its a very valuable family heirloom and I need it back."

"I know that must be hard for you to understand considering your family clearly don't care enough about you to take you back home or even give you a comb but its important," Rose added coldly and Michael failed to mask his hurt.

"I didn't take it, I didn't take anything, I'm not a thief," Michael whispered tearfully as he shoved aside his plate, "I'm not hungry."

Michael took off without another word, Scorpius hesitated for a moment before going after him, glancing back briefly to shoot a look of loathing in Varanian's direction but the headmaster was absent. He pushed it out of his mind as he left after Michael, for someone so short Michael could really move fast. Scorpius lost him but he was pretty certain the only place Michael would have gone to was Gryffindor Tower, sure enough his friend was curled up in one of the comfy armchairs by the fire, crying.

"Michael? Are you okay?" Scorpius asked awkwardly, not sure what you really should say. Michael glanced to him and hastily wiped his eyes.

"Do y-you still r-remember?" Michael replied struggling to silence his sobs and Scorpius nodded, "I'm s-sorry, its a-all my f-fault th-that he got Al-Albus, its all my f-fault."

"Hey, if its anyone's fault then its mine. It my stupid plan," Scorpius pointed out guiltily sitting down beside Michael who wiped his still streaming eyes again, "how is it your fault?"

"Be-Because V-Varanian caught m-me and he th-thought th-that y-you both were probably hiding b-b-because I don't th-think he knew about the passageway. H-He asked me w-where you were hiding and I s-said I had no idea wh-what he was talking about b-but he d-didn't believe me, he s-said... he said he was going t-to hur-hurt me unless Albus c-came out and... and he d-didn't come so V-V-Varanian used this spell on me, cru-cru-cru-"

"Crucio?" Scorpius guessed as a feeling of horror crept through him when Michael nodded and cried harder, hugging his knees closer.

"It h-hurt so much I c-couldn't help bu-but sc-scream an-and Albus gave himself up th-the sec-second time. Its all my f-fault. V-Varanian made me g-go, I tr-tried to f-find you or C-Calderon but I r-ran into J-James and his fr-friends and they used th-this body-bind c-curse on me and lo-locked me in a broom cl-closet. I d-didn't know if h-he got y-you or not. I'm s-sorry, S-Scorpius, I'm s-so s-sorry," Michael sobbed and buried his head in his knees.

"It's not your fault, Michael," Scorpius said firmly, "that's the torture curse, its... its unforgivable, Varanian will get a life sentence for it. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have left you, I should have thought of a better, I should have realized he would do something like that. Its my fault, you didn't do anything wrong."

"Its m-my fault not y-yours. You c-couldn't have known."

"No, its my fault."

"L-Let's jus-just say its both of our f-faults?" Michael offered raising his head with a nervously forced smile.

"Okay," Scorpius agreed and awkwardly patted Michael on the shoulder comfortingly like they did in the movies, forcing himself to return the smile and Michael genuinely seemed to stop crying as he sniffed and wiped his eyes.

"What are we going to do though?"

"I don't know. Where is Varanian, do you know?"

"Ill again with his headachey seizurey whatever's wrong with him. He's been sick all week, he's not usually at meals or if he is he looks terrible again," Michael explained before looking puzzled, "I passed him in the corridor the day before yesterday, he was clutching his head with one hand, he looked so ill you would've thought he was on his deathbed and I've seen people on their deathbed. And he... um... he..."

"Did he hurt you again?" Scorpius wondered furiously and the fire blazed.

"No, he... he _apologized_."

"What?"

"He said he was sorry for everything he'd done to me. He's insane, right?"

"Completely. I just can't figure him out," Scorpius offered staring into the raging flames, the heat was so intense he could feel himself starting to sweat.

"Do you still have Albus' invisibility cloak?"

"Yeah. Do you think I should return it to his possessions like he wants?"

"No. You promised to keep it and we may need it if we're going to stop Varanian, we can't... it... it was... it was his last wish. He can have it back when he gets his memory back or Varanian's in jail, whichever comes first. Besides, if you did that he'd think for sure that I took it in the first place," Michael told him and Scorpius nodded resignedly in agreement but raged inside as the fire burned so brightly it threatened to burst from the fire place. He really, really - _really - _hated Varanian.

Varanian was there the next day at breakfast, he did look unhealthy, his skin was practically gray and his hand trembled noticeably even from a distance as he moved it to eat, he rested his tawny haired head on the other one. It was exceedingly hard for him to feel sympathy when he knew Varanian had used the cruciatus curse on his friend, although he was curious about the illness. Calderon's memory was intact and Scorpius threw his arms around in relief when he saw the assistant for his detention, Calderon was in an extremely good mood and instead of a detention took him to Professor Hagrid's hut in a flurry of lights to see the 'surprise' which was that Professor Hagrid's dogs had just had puppies. They were only a few days old and Calderon was ecstatic, childishly cooing over them with bursts of light appearing around him every time they so much as twitched. While Scorpius lacked Calderon's incredible enthusiasm, he did think they were adorable. Calderon was still talking about them for weeks after and visited them every day or twice a day, using Scorpius as an excuse to see them again - not that Scorpius minded.

"I never saw a puppy before," Calderon admitted when they actually got around to getting on with the detention, still beaming, "I like animals. They don't care who you are, all they care about is how treat them and that is all that should matter really not who your parents are."

"Did you talk to Varanian?" Scorpius asked, he didn't want to ruin Calderon's good mood but he didn't want his friends to have lost their memories even more.

"He said its too dangerous to risk reversing it," Calderon sighed as he immediately deflated, "he promised not to do it to anyone else but I'm not sure I trust him anymore. He needs help, he's not well but he won't get help for it because he hates healers and hospitals so much. I guess I can't blame him, I'd rather die than be locked up in a mental ward but... I don't know if he'll hurt anyone else, I've given up trying to figure him out. Maybe you'll get your wish after all, Scor, if things don't get better... I'll have to do something. There's over a thousand people in the school, I can't keep leaving them at risk because he's like the closest thing I have to a friend. That's selfish... If there was a situation and you could either save one sibling or five strangers, who would you save?"

"My sister."

"So would I. But that's selfish of us, the right thing to do is to save the strangers. Putting the needs of the many over the person you care about, putting doing the right thing over what you want, doing the right thing no matter the cost to yourself. Its not easy. The right thing to do is never seems to be the easiest option, that's usually how you can tell its the right thing."

April dragged by. Scorpius didn't think it was a fun month for most people. The workload was piling on for the upcoming exams in June, Molly and Michael were stressed out of their mind over them. Scorpius wasn't though. Maybe he just had so many worries that he'd ran out space inside his mind for more or because he'd gotten so used to succeeding in class that he assumed he'd get through the exams or maybe it was because they were too far away to register, he still had the final Quidditch match against Ravenclaw to go before then anyway.

He knew Michael was having a horrible time of things, with the others' memories erased when Scorpius was at Quidditch practice or at his detentions Michael was all alone. Unless you included the bullies tormenting him. Scorpius could stop them when it happened around him, his reputation for almost killing half his class and later James meant no one really wanted to mess with him but he couldn't protect Michael when he wasn't there and Michael steadfastly refused staff help for fear of putting them on Varanian's radar, as well as fear of parents finding out and his strict stepdad pulling him from Hogwarts. Calderon lost his joy in the last week of April when Professor Hagrid told him he'd be giving away the puppies so to not get too attached, it was too late by then although Calderon stopped visiting them and talking about them happily. Varanian remained ill until the last day of April, like before he had a seizure and was perfectly healthy again. Or as healthy as Varanian normally was anyway. Professor Ashain was happy though, his wife had given him permission to see his family on his daughter's fourth birthday on May 21st, the professor was over the moon about it, he couldn't wait and was counting the days down on his calender. Scorpius was happy for him, at least something good was happening to someone he cared about.

The hardest part though was Abby, Albus and Rose having no memory of being friends with them, they hated Michael for 'stealing' the cloak and hated Scorpius for being Scorpius. It really hurt and no matter how many times he told himself that they couldn't help it and didn't mean it, it still hurt. Although one time he came up and Albus was sitting on the edge of his bed crying and looking confused, when Scorpius risked to ask why he just said he had no idea. Scorpius wished they could remember, it was torture to look people in the eye that you'd been so close to and not see a glimmer of recognition.

May 2nd - which was a Monday - was the twentieth anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts and it was a big event, they'd miss a whole day of classes as there was a memorial service being held for all the students and their relatives - if they chose to come, Scorpius' opted to politely decline - as well as relatives or friends of the dead or anyone who just wanted to show their respects. The Minister for Magic himself was going to be there to give a speech to honor his fallen friends, Harry Potter and other well known faces would also be giving speeches which meant security would be high. Calderon had been stuck coordinating with the Auror office and Ministry officials to arrange it for all of Saturday - as Varanian had naturally dumped the responsibility on him - so Scorpius hadn't seen him that day. It was being held near Dumbledore's tomb, Scorpius' whole Sunday consisted of setting up the thousands of chair with Calderon. Calderon seemed extremely withdrawn and all his lights were blue.

"Are you okay?" Scorpius asked after a few failed attempts at conversation.

"I _have_ to go to the memorial because I helped arrange it all, Varanian and the Auror said," Calderon told him miserably, "I have the greatest respect for those who died and those who fought but... my parents still died. I didn't want them to die, I cried my eyes out when I heard. I know they weren't good people but they were _still_ my parents and I loved them despite everything. Listening to hours of people celebrating their deaths and talking about the people they killed isn't easy, or even the slightest bit bearable. And the people that will be here, relatives of the people my parents killed, my parent's killers even. I shouldn't be here. If they they knew who my father was then they wouldn't want me there either, not unless they were burning me at the stake and cheering."

Scorpius wasn't sure what to say to that. Professor Ashain had seemed pretty sure people weren't prosecuted for being related to Death Eaters, if they didn't even arrest them then they wouldn't kill any of them. He could understand why Calderon was upset though, he was uncomfortable enough going and his father and grandparents had changed sides. And they hadn't died. He tried to cheer Calderon up with little success, he just resolved to try keep close by the assistant to make sure he was okay at the memorial.

May 2nd was a really sunny day, the sky was a beautiful bright blue, the shimmering sun smiled down on them and there wasn't a cloud in sight. Scorpius woke up early so he could tag along with Calderon, the assistant had dressed completely in black, black sneakers, black jeans, black pullover making his silver dragon necklace stand out more. Scorpius was pretty sure he'd be boiling, then again Scorpius always wore long sleeves to cover his wrist even though he was hot. Calderon remained in low spirits but kept to the task at hand, making sure the podium and chairs were still ready and in place.

The security arrived first to make sure everything was also in place and started getting ready or at least standing around looking grim, people started to arrive that, they were apparating to Hogsmeade and walking to the school, guides had been hired to direct people along the way. Calderon didn't actually have anything to do for once, the Ministry were running everything and all he had to do was 'be around' in case he was needed as Varanian had put it. People started moving to the memorial area quite early, taking advantage of the good weather to sit outside and catch up with their children before it began. They stood apart from everyone but kept an eye on them all, well Scorpius did anyway, Calderon just hung his head. Scorpius didn't think he'd ever seen him keep so still, he hated that Varanian had made him come when Varanian knew about his parents.

"Hey Scor!" Molly called as she rushed over to him cheerfully, beaming and waving frantically, Scorpius failed not to smile and Calderon looked up for the first time in awhile, "I want you to meet my family."

"Really?" Scorpius wondered nervously, "I um... its probably best I just.. err... stay with Calder-"

"That's Andromeda Black, isn't it?" Calderon interrupted staring at a woman that resembled Scorpius' grandmother only with black hair and a tad older, she was standing with a green-haired boy who was holding hands with Victoire.

"Andromeda _Tonks_," Molly corrected him.

"She's Bellatrix Lestrange's sister, though?" Calderon wondered staring at the woman with a mournful look, Molly scowled slightly, "she looks so much like her."

"Yes. But don't say that to her."

"I'm not going to say anything to her."

"Merlin's beard, you're related!" Molly burst out snapping her fingers and Calderon looked horrified, lights erupted around him, "your grandmother's her sister, right Scor?"

"Err... yeah," Scorpius agreed and Calderon looked about to collapse with relief for reasons that were lost on Scorpius.

"Come on, I'll introduce you!"

"Err... no thanks I'm good."

"Come on, I'm sure she'd love to meet her great-nephew. Don't you want to meet your long-lost family?"

"My grandmother disowned her for marrying... her husband, why would she want to meet me? I wouldn't know what to say to her anyway."

"I'm sure she would, you're really great," Molly told him with a smile that made his heart melt, Molly thought _he_ was great? "I'll go ask her."

"Weren't you going to introduce us to your friend?" a woman questioned of Molly before his crush could run off.

Scorpius thought the woman had to be Molly's mother, she had Rivers' eyes and hair color and shared part of Molly's good looks or had once, the chiseled in stern expression detracted from it. She was standing beside a curly red-haired man who was very clearly a Weasley, he also looked very severe who he assumed was Molly's mother. Rivers also wandered over to stand with them, talking to a girl who he assumed was Molly's sister Lucy. Lucy had red hair like Molly and their father but it wasn't curly like them, wavy like her mother and uncle, she also shared their brown eyes but had freckles like her father.

"Yes!" Molly said excitedly and Scorpius felt extremely awkward as he was pulled forwards to the Weasleys, "this is Scorpius Malfoy and these are my parents and my sister Lucy."

"Pleasure to meet you," Scorpius offered politely as years of manners kicked in over his nerves.

"Molly's told us so much about you," Percy Weasley informed him neutrally, "well done on Quidditch, pretty impressive for a first year."

"Err... thank you. I try my best."

"Hang on, I'll be back in a minute," Molly spoke up cheerfully and darted away even as Audrey opened her mouth to protest, she snapped it shut again and glanced disapprovingly after her daughter.

"Do you still keep up with your studies?" Audrey Weasley asked of him and looking down on him with a judging stare.

"Yes," Scorpius answered truthfully although he didn't want to sound like he was bragging in case they thought he was being arrogant but then he didn't want them to think he was bad at things, he wanted Molly's family to have a good impression of him, "I'm... one of the top of my class... in some classes."

"You could probably be the top if you abandoned that silly broomstick game. I wish Molly would abandon that silly game and focus on her own studies, that's more important."

"Can I play the silly broomstick game when I'm older?" Lucy piped up and the parents both stiffened visibly.

"No, I'm not having you risking your life flying around like a maniac like Molly does. You have to focus on your studies and do well, do _lots_ of magic."

"I can't wait to do magic," Lucy said brightly, grinning from ear to ear excitedly and Scorpius heard Calderon sigh sadly, "do you get to do lots of magic in your first year, Scorpius?"

"I'm back," Molly announced breaking through the circle of adults with Andromeda_ Tonks_ in tow, "Andromeda, this is Scorpius."

"Pleasure to meet you," Andromeda offered politely much the same way Scorpius had before, Molly laughed at this.

"That's exactly what he said!"

"Likewise," Scorpius greeted his great-aunt awkwardly as she held out her hand for him to shake which he respectfully did, wondering what his grandmother would think if she knew.

"And who are you?" Andromeda asked, directing the question who seemed to have been trying to discretely move away unnoticed but Andromeda had spotted him regardless.

"Err..." Calderon stammered for a moment and the lights flashed around him, "M-Marius. Calderon. Marius Calderon. That's my name. Nice to... um... pleasure to... err... glad I erm... hello."

"Have we met by any chance? Don't take this the wrong way but your remind me of me someone but I can't place who."

"No we haven't met... I just have one of those faces that looks like everyone else I guess. I don't... I don't know you. I mean I've heard of you. A lot about you but I haven't met you. Until now. I've... I've met you now. Just like now but I meant before that, you probably know what I meant. I just erm... Ticcy!" Calderon continued unusually awkwardly before spotting Professor Ashain nearing them and practically jumping at the possible chance of leaving, "what were you saying just now?"

"The Aurors want us to start sitting down now, the Minister just arrived," Professor Ashain told them, seeming to just dismiss the strangeness as Calderon being Calderon, "so could please make their way to the seating area that would be good."

"Everyone over to the seating area, I'll go spread the word! Nice meeting you," Calderon said looking relieved to have an excuse to be away as he bolted in a flurry of lights.

"Is he usually like that?" Andromeda wondered staring after him with a bemused expression.

"Pretty much," Professor Ashain admitted, "he's alright once you get... used to him."

"I still can't think of who he reminds me of."

"A crazy person? I-" Rivers guessed but was cut off as two identical dirty blond-haired boys ran into him, "hey!"

"Lorcan! Lysander!" Percy snapped as the two boys scrambled to their feet and Audrey helped a glowering Rivers up, "you have to be more careful where you're running, you'll be ten in a month, start acting like it!"

"We'll try," the two boys said in unison and winked as they ran off again.

"Unbelievable," Rivers moaned to his sister as they continued towards the seats and Scorpius remained standing beside Professor Ashain, "can you believe that, Aud? And you know those people? Unbelievable. Doesn't anyone know how to respect their elders? What are they teaching them in school? Why aren't the parents keeping them under reign? My arm hurts and my robe's all creased now!"

"Wherever he's sitting, I'm not," Professor Ashain grumbled.

"Me too," Scorpius added as he peered into the throng of people making their way to the seats, "don't suppose you saw Michael anywhere? I was going to sit with him."

"I'm afraid not. I was catching up with the Aurors, they actually remembered me, did you know?" Professor Ashain pointed out as they started to move closer to the seats, to the front few rows reserved that were off-limits to students not related to any of the speakers or staff, "well you should go find your friend if you want to, good luck in this crowd though. But if you change your mind and want a good seat you can sit up front with me, I always think its better to be near the front to see the speaker rather then disembodied voices."

"Sure."

They got seats in the second row, Scorpius actually had a really good view of the podium. There were two rows of chairs behind the podium too, for the speakers. Professor Ashain pointed out the Minister for Magic, Harry Potter, Rose's parents, Professors Longbottom and McGonagall he knew, Molly's parents would also be speaking as high ranking ministry officials, Rose and Albus' grandfather was also speaking, Varanian wasn't speaking but as headmaster he also had a seat up there and the others Scorpius didn't really know. Aurors were also clustered around the edges of the podium, standing ready to defend its occupants.

He turned his gaze to the chairs filling up near the front, Molly, Rivers and Lucy were sitting together in the front row but on the opposite side to Scorpius - there was a walkway in the center between the two sides - and he also saw Albus, James and a redheaded girl with glasses who he assumed was Lily sitting with a redheaded woman who was probably their mother, Rose and a younger redheaded boy also were sitting with them and an elderly looking redheaded woman, he recognized Victoire, Dom, Louis, Freddie and Roxy also sitting with a bunch of redheaded people and their presumed wives. He assumed that was just the Weasley segment. He recognized the twins who'd knocked over Rivers sitting near them with a dirty-blond haired woman and a robust rusty haired man, also he saw Abby, Nick, Heather with a younger boy and a slightly plump woman whom he assumed was Abby's brother, August and mother respectively. Andromeda and the forest-haired boy were there too - wait no, his hair was black. Ah, Teddy Lupin the metamorphmagus, he had heard of him. The only other people he recognized were staff sitting amongst the crowd, Calderon slumped into the chair beside Professor Ashain and Scorpius was on the edge so he had no one sitting on his other side.

Then the memorial began. An official spoke first to welcome then and explain why they were there although Scorpius was pretty sure everyone knew, the speakers magically enhanced the volume of their voices so everyone could hear which meant it was very loud in the front rows. Scorpius noticed Calderon hanging his head when the official spoke of remember the victims of Voldemort and the Death Eaters, the assistant's shoulders started to shake as if he was crying when the official mentioned them also celebrating the victory Voldemort's death and some people cheered. The Minister for Magic was the second to speak, he gave a very long speech about his friends in the Order of the Phoenix and their bravery in the war, focusing on those who'd died fighting, some people in the crowd also started crying and a lot of the Weasleys seemed to start when the Minister spoke of Fred Weasley. It was very touching and very depressing, Scorpius wondered if his father and grandparents had killed anyone. It trailed off positively, turning their sacrifices into an heroic inspiration and reminding everyone while they were gone, they were not forgotten. The applause was deafening.

The next to speak was Harry Potter, he didn't get very far though as he trailed off with everyone on the podium staring at the walkway. Scorpius turned to where they were looking - as did most people, not Calderon who still had his head hunched - and saw a man walking up the center, an old man with a long white beard and black eyes. Pupil, iris, sclera, all pure black and glowing. Professor Ashain shivered and gaped, all the adults were gaping.

"Whose that?" Scorpius whispered to the professor.

"Dumbledore," Professor Ashain breathed in reply.

"My friends, my brethren! I've come from the future to warn you!" Dumbledore called out to the crowd, somehow his voice carrying as he stopped near the front row before his lips curled into a cruel smile, "nah, I'm just screwing with you! _Avada Kedavra!_"

A jet of green light shot immediately out of Dumbledore's wand, straight towards Harry Potter but the handsome sandy-haired Auror was the fastest to react. He threw himself at Harry, knocking the Head Auror clean out of the path of the curse that sailed straight on towards the unfortunate person sitting directly behind. Audrey Weasley. Molly's mother. The curse struck her full on and her lifeless body was thrown backwards, he heard Percy scream no as the man jumped after his wife's body.

"I _AM_ THE SHADOW MASTER! FEAR MY POWER!" Dumbledore yelled as he tossed his head back and his arms into the air, laughing maniacally as he did so.

Chaos followed.


	71. I: Chaos

_**To Diddleymaz:** Dark chapter warning_

_**Thanks to:** Harry-Potter-Magic, BloodPixie140, Aya Diefair and Lucifersdaughter for reviewing!_

**_Questions:  
_****_Didn't Scorpius see a shadow by Dumbledore's tomb near the beginning?_**  
_Yes he did_  
**_He possessed Dumbledore's corpse?_**  
_The Shadow Master did possess Dumbledore's corpse via the Specters_

* * *

Darkness erupted from his hands and tainted the sky, dark clouds swarmed as if on command. Dumbedore - or rather the Shadow Master - jerked his wand arm and a pulse of black shot out, becoming the symbol of the Shadows that gazed threateningly down on them. Dumbledore's body had been remarkably preserved, the white robe looked as good as new and his face was recognizable, only his skin had a unhealthy discoloration. Scorpius saw the hesitation in the Aurors' eyes, not wanting to hurt the body of their former friend, comrade and hero.

They had no choice though. The Shadow Master started throwing curses out in ever direction, using both his wand and his free hand to threw magic everywhere, injuring, killing, exploding wherever it touched. All the while laughing a demented laugh that made Calderon's sound sane. The Aurors retaliated by throwing curses at the Shadow Master which all had no effect in the slightest against the man, he continued attacking and laughing.

Shadows swarmed and started going _into_ people, either into the fallen bodies of the dead or just random people. Their eyes would turn black like the Shadow Master/Dumbledore's and they'd join the attack, turning on their friends, families, even their children. Some were screaming. Some were crying. Some were running. Some were trying to get to their loved ones. Some were trying to protect their loved ones _from_ their loved ones. Some were fighting back but their curses were useless. Some people were hurt.

Professor Ashain had rushed to try and fight the Shadow Master as had several of the Aurors including Harry Potter and his sandy-haired savior, Varanian was also trying to fight but it wasn't hurting the Shadow Master at all - no it was, Scorpius realized as Varanian slashed Dumbledore's body with his favorite spell and the possessed-corpse bled, the injuries just didn't seem to register with the Shadows controlling them, they had to be able to resist some though as most didn't have an effect.

Varanian stopped fighting for a moment to say a spell that Scorpius couldn't make out over the noise, he yelled that they could apparate and another Auror magically enhanced his voice to get the message across, popping sounds deafened all around but the Auror was struck down by a killing curse from being distracted. He became one of the possessed. It was all happening so fast, Scorpius had a hard time keeping track of everything and needed a lot more than two eyes to see it all.

The people around Scorpius started disapparating away to safety or rushing back to help but none of them thought to take him with them, Calderon didn't disapparate. The assistant was still sitting in his chair, his head was buried in his hands and lights swirled around him, bouncing back any stray curses. Scorpius tried to keep track of his other friends, the Weasley family were rapidly disapparating and grabbing children to take with them - his friends included - much to his relief, Abby's mum and elder sister grabbed the younger ones and also disapparated. He had no idea where Michael was. Professor Ashain was still fighting. Molly wasn't being disapparated, Molly, Rivers and Lucy were running towards the podium instead, Lucy clutching at her uncle's hand as if for dear life.

Audrey's body was one of those to have risen, it was sitting up, her eyes black like the shadow-possessed people who'd turned on their own kin. Audrey was no exception. She threw a curse at the Minister of Magic's back while he was engaged with the Shadow Master, Kingsley Shacklebolt went down with an unnamed black-colored curse and another Auror hastily disapparated him to safety. Her corpse attacked tried to attack her distraught husband without waiting to see what became of the Minister, only for Percy's father to push him barely out of the way in time and get struck in the face instead.

Hardly anyone was left by the podium by now, they'd either joined the fight against the possessed or disapparated. Rivers, Molly and Lucy were still heading towards Audrey, unbeknownst to Percy who disappareted with his injured father. Scorpius' legs were moving before he realized it, diving under the curses firing wildly all around him as he made a beeline for Molly, desperately calling her name and not sure if it was heard above the noise, he could barely hear himself.

Audrey was raising her wand to attack Rivers and her daughters, only Molly seemed to realize the danger and called out something that sounded like 'stop!' Scorpius had his wand out in an instant and focused every shred of his energy into funneling a burst of magic out. Gray light shot towards Audrey and struck her, flinging her body back once more and making her causing shoot harmlessly into the sky and not hit Molly.

"Don't hurt my sister!" Rivers was sobbing as he flicked his wand at Scorpius, Scorpius' wand was propelled out of his hand and he was knocked painfully back onto the ground, forgotten as Rivers continued towards his sister and crying out for her, "Aud! Aud! AUD!"

Percy apparated back and grabbed Lucy who was clutching Rivers hand so tightly that when he disapparated he took the professor with him, Rivers still screaming for his lost sister. Audrey meanwhile had got back up, tears were streaming down Molly's face as her own mother raised her wand to attack her. Scorpius yelled at her to duck and Molly threw herself out of the way just in time to miss the green jet of light, Percy appeared again and hugged his daughter close as he disapparated her to safety. Giving one last tearful look at his wife as he went.

Leaving Scorpius alone with her. Without his wand. Scorpius scrambled to get away to find it on the ground, his heart was pounding against the inside of his ribs as if trying to escape the cage because it was terrified and knew he was doomed. _Wand, wand, find you wand!_ His mind was screaming at him in panic as he spotted the familiar stick in the dirt, he dived for it and a black jet of magic hit the spot he'd just been in. He got to his feet hastily and found himself right back into the middle of the duel with the Shadow Master.

Most of the Aurors who'd been fighting were now engaged dueling with other possessed people, some of which were the other Aurors. Harry Potter disapparating with an injured Auror as Scorpius stumbled into the fight. Varanian, the sandy-haired Auror and Professor Ashain were still fighting him from the sides of the walkway. Scorpius had landed in the middle and directly in the path of the ruined body that once been Albus Dumbledore, slashed to pieces, slashed to the bone in places but he was still fighting with a twisted smile in his face.

The Shadow Master had already thrown a curse towards Scorpius, before he'd got to his feet. He barely had time to register his serious error in judgement and the fact he was probably about to die before he felt himself being tackled out of the way, Professor Ashain had launched himself protectively at Scorpius just as the magic hit.

The burst of black, seemed to explode on contact only Scorpius didn't feel hit or even in pain until he was slammed against the ground. _The curse must have missed_, he thought triumphantly, glad to have survived perhaps another second was a second longer than a moment ago and really they were living in the seconds. He tried to get up but Professor Ashain held his arm to the ground.

"Stay down," Professor Ashain whispered into his ear, "ar-are you h-hurt?"

"No, I'm fine," Scorpius replied, he was face down on the ground, his cheek was pressed against the dirt but he could still see the now two-way duel with the Shadow Master.

"G-Good..."

"ENOUGH!" Calderon screamed and Scorpius' attention was drawn to him again.

Only Calderon wasn't just surrounded by light, he _was_ light, he looked like he was fire with flames of light blazing from his body. He got to his feet off the chair and advanced on the Shadow Master then, the chairs tossing themselves away from him as he walked. He looked angrier than Scorpius had ever seen him. He punched his fist into the air and a streak of golden shot into the sky, making contact with the skeletal snake symbol that exploded.

Calderon lowered his arm ever so slowly towards the Shadow Master and hissed, light burst from his palm and the Shadow Master turned his attention completely to the assistant as he hissed. The Shadow Master raised his non wand palm towards Calderon and a jet of black light shot out, meeting Calderon's light straight on. Bolts of magic burst from the collision of power, like forks of lightning erupting out and thundering so loudly that Scorpius couldn't hear anything else as they tore through the chairs, trees, scorching the ground wherever they touched.

But Calderon was stronger. The gold forced through the black and he saw Calderon's mouth moving as if he was saying something but it was lost over the roar of the power, Dumbledore's body was thrown back the instant the light touched it. Tendrils of light flared from Calderon's body, golden waves flooding from him and crashing through the air, swamping the area and cascading outwards. Calderon was just a beacon of light in the center of it all, brighter than the sun and Scorpius was forced to look away.

He heard could hear inhumane screeches of pain slicing through the sounds of the magic, a possessed Auror was in Scorpius new line of sight and he was trashing wildly. Clutching at his head, his mouth open in a scream as his body convulsed painfully and a second later a shadow was torn from his body. The man's eyes reverted to brown and he crumpled to the ground in a heap. The shadow was drowned in the sea of light, Scorpius could swear the shadow was person shaped with pitch black eyes like he'd seen by Dumbledore's tomb before.

All at once the waves of light receded as if being pulled back, Scorpius awkwardly jerked his head back to Calderon and saw the light almost seeming to be sucked back into his still outstretched palm. The light vanished. No shadows. No dueling. No possessions. Just stunned people with bodies scattered all around them. Just another sunny day at the beginning of May.

Silence.

It was over.

Calderon was just standing there in the heart of it all, dressed like all a muggle all in black, his face streaked with tears and all traces of anger gone from his face. He lowered his arm and gazed at the ruined, again lifeless body of Dumbledore. Everyone was looking at him.

Scorpius wanted to see the expression on Varanian's face that the assistant he treated like dirt had just saved everyone's lives - _again_ - but Varanian had collapsed, his chest was rising and falling indicating he was still breathing but unconscious. People slowly started moving again, most of the remaining Aurors - which was most of the people left, or at least left near Scorpius - converging on Dumbledore's body to make sure the Shadow Master was really gone, Dumbledore's glazed eyes just started lifelessly as the sun. It seemed impossible that it was shining after what had just happened.

"Did you see that?" Scorpius wondered to Professor Ashain, "what Calderon was amazing. He just... he just banished all the shadows and saved everyone, he saved all our lives. Did you see, Professor?"

Scorpius expected a reply and for him to move, he actually didn't like having someone half on top of him. Professor Ashain said nothing but he could hear his ragged breathing in his ear. Scorpius scowled and opened his mouth to ask him to please move before he noticed a strange wetness seeping against his back. A horrifying thought struck Scorpius, he hadn't been hit but...

"Professor Ashain? Are you okay?" Scorpius questioned fearfully but got no reply.

Scorpius wriggled his way out from under the professor and turned back, there were huge tears in the fabric of the professor's robe and deep blackish gashes visible. Crimson stained his whole back. Despite the sun, Scorpius felt colder than ice as he rolled the professor onto his back, Professor Ashain's eyes flickered open at this and he whimpered in pain. His front wasn't much better, the robe was still torn up from his right shoulder all the way diagonally across to below his left hip with a gaping open wound visible on the skin. There was so much blood. Professor Ashain looked in agony, every breath was ragged and jerky.

"HELP!" Scorpius screamed louder than he thought he could make his voice again, "someone help! Urgent healer help! Please! Help me! Help! Help!"

No one came running. The healers were probably already gone. What was he supposed to do? What did people do when someone got hurt? Scorpius wracked his mind frantically, putting pressure on the wound sounded familiar to stop the bleeding. He awkwardly put his hands against two randomly places the wound, ignoring the stickiness as he pressed down and Professor Ashain gasped in pain and grabbed Scorpius' wrist with his left hand, the right was still clutching his wand.

"H-Hurts... t-too... m-much..." Professor Ashain told him in shuddering breaths as he looked at him with a face devoid of color, "pl-please... i-it... h-hurts..."

"O-Okay," Scorpius shakily agreed, he didn't want to hurt him and he wasn't so sure it would help if it was hurting him. Professor Ashain let go of his wrist and his arm started to fall, Scorpius held his hand tightly as the professor started to close his eyes, "no! No! You have to... You have to stay awake and keep your eyes open, you're gonna... you're gonna be okay. The Healers are coming, they are, you just have to stay awake and not... not... not die and they can save you and you can... you can see your daughter on her birthday just like you were going to. You just have to hold on and not... not die. Please."

Professor Ashain's eyes hesitated in closing for a moment, he opened his mouth as if to say something else but instead he coughed and blood spluttered out. Scorpius winced, you didn't need to know a lot about healing or injuries to know that that wasn't good. Professor Ashain flicked his gaze to the sky as his eyes slowly shut.


	72. I: Bloodied Hands

"NO! HELP! HELP! HELP!"

Scorpius just keep screaming for help, eventually _someone_ had to listen to him, someone had to help. Professor Ashain couldn't die. He _couldn't_. Not because Scorpius was so stupid to get in the way of a curse. Why was he so stupid?! The lump in his throat was so big, it hurt to yell but he didn't stop. He squeezed the professor's limp hand tightly, Scorpius wasn't sure if was breathing anymore. He couldn't be dead. He just couldn't.

Finally Scorpius felt arms pulling him away and healers swarmed over the professor like crows on carrion, on that depressing image Scorpius squeezed shut his eyes. Professor Ashain had to be dead, he'd been so hurt. _He's dead and its all your fault!_ His mind roared angrily, _why do people around you get hurt? Lyra died, your grandfather's ill, your friends lost their memories, Molly lost her mother, Michael was tortured, I don't even know where to begin with Calderon. What is wrong with you? Are you so evil that it just rubs off and everyone around you suffers? I hate you._

"He'll be okay, Scor, the healers are doing everything they can," Calderon's voice told him soothingly and he realized the assistant was the one pulling him away, he opened his eyes and turned to face Calderon.

"It's all my fault. He was trying to save me. He was trying to protect me," Scorpius cried but tears refused to break past his eyelids, he couldn't even cry when someone he cared about died? What was wrong with him? _You're evil,_ "it's my fault he's dead."

"It's _not_ your fault," Calderon said very firmly as he sat Scorpius down on one of few the chairs not cast aside by the assistant's power, he met Calderon's serious dark eyes, "do you hear me? Blame the Shadows, blame the security for not being good enough, blame me for not doing something sooner even but don't blame yourself because its not your fault. Ticcy wouldn't want you to, would he? He tried to protect you because that's the kind of person he is, not because you did anything wrong."

"Okay," Scorpius whispered, not quite believing it but he felt too distraught to argue with the person he looked up to most as he hung his head and saw his hands, Professor Ashain's blood was quite literally on them.

"And he's not dead, if he was the healers would have moved on to someone else," Calderon pointed out and Scorpius supposed that was logical, Harry Potter called Calderon over to help him secure the perimeter and insisted Scorpius couldn't come, "just stay with Ticcy, he doesn't have anyone to be with him right now. I'll find you when I can, is that okay?"

Scorpius nodded mutely and watched Calderon leave. Everything was a blur for awhile after that, he wasn't quite sure how he got from the grounds to the hospital wing. He just stared at the ground lost in guilt and grief as Professor Ashain's last moments played over and over and over in his mind. Scorpius knew it should be him, he should've been the one in pain, he should've been the one with the horrible injuries, not Professor Ashain. The professor was still alive at least, he looked so pale and his breathing sounded off, his chest was all wrapped up in bandages and his hair a mess. He would hate that. Scorpius still felt horrible though as he let his head fall into his hands. Why had Professor Ashain risked his life like that anyway? He'd been so happy to see his kids again in nineteen days, just nineteen days. The Shadows couldn't wait nineteen days? His life was more important than Scorpius, after all Scorpius was already weak and ruined and pretty much dead already. He wondered if Michael was actually dead already too, Scorpius still had no idea what had become of him. He was afraid to find out.

He looked up at the crowded hospital wing, the workload was usually light for the Hogwarts healing staff but that day he had a feeling that their feet wouldn't touch the ground for a long time. And that was after the majority of the more seriously had been taken to St Mungo's, the beds in the hospital wing were reserved for the seriously injured and Hogwarts staff - Varanian had a bed despite just being unconscious - that remained and he overheard them saying the less severe were in the Great Hall as their was more space, most students were gathering in the Great Hall with their families. The dead and those who died - Scorpius knew at least three had died in the hospital wing that he'd noticed - were moved to the room near the Great Hall and kept under watch lest they rise from the dead again and attack.

Professor Ashain was one of the worst off, they weren't sure whether he'd been struck by a curse from the Shadow Master _and_ Audrey at the same time or the Shadow Master's had just gone straight through. Either way it didn't sound good, Scorpius was repeatedly shunted aside when they'd need to see to the professor again and try more things as more resources arrived, they said he'd be dead already if 'Cel' hadn't had some of the potion that had helped Rose's dad survive on him so they'd been able to repair some of the internal damage. They still seemed slightly surprised every time they came over and Professor Ashain wasn't dead yet, that really didn't bode well for him. Scorpius just held his hand for lack of anything more useful to do and willed him to hold on, to keep fighting and proving them wrong.

"Hey Scor," Calderon said after awhile and Scorpius glanced at the assistant who offered him a weak smile, he looked very drained, "how's he doing?"

Madam Pomfrey seemed to hear this and took Calderon aside for a moment, she whispered so quietly that Scorpius couldn't hear the whole conversation - not over the noise of the chaotic hospital wing anyway - but he did catch snippets. She recommended Calderon try get the professor's family because it wasn't looking good, something about making him comfortable and that he wouldn't wake up. Calderon looked saddened and just nodded, telling Scorpius he'd be back again and leaving. Scorpius didn't ask why. He didn't want to know. He'd rather cling to Professor Ashain's hand like it was the last wisp of hope. Maybe he would be okay, they'd said Scorpius' sister would be okay and she'd died so maybe since they thought he wouldn't be okay that he would? Scorpius wanted to cry so badly. He'd never forgive himself if the professor died from saving _his _worthless life. Calderon returned again not too long after that, he spoke to Madam Pomfrey in a whisper again, something about Professor Ashain's wife not wanting to come and sending an owl to his father but not expecting anything. Scorpius felt even worse, Professor Ashain might die and his family didn't even care.

"Come on, Scor," Calderon offered in a gentle tone, "let's go to the Great Hall with the others, your friend Michael's there, you've stayed with Ticcy long enough. A hospital wing isn't really the place for an eleven year old."

"I'm not leaving him," Scorpius said determinedly gripping the professor's hand tight.

"Scor-"

"I know he might die and I'm not leaving him. He doesn't deserve to be alone. He saved my life and he's my... friend type person and I'm not leaving him unless you drag me away."

"Are you sure?" Calderon wondered and Scorpius nodded before something dawned on him.

"Calderon... I know that... that healing is bad for you but... is there any way you could just heal him enough to make sure he won't die without hurting yourself?"

"I can't, some wounds I can't heal and the wounds the Shadows caused are immune like that, they taint the magic so it can't be healed magically. Not even by me. It sucks."

Calderon opened his mouth to say something but was called over by Professor McGonagall, her arm in a sling as she asked him to please get a roll call of all the students. Scorpius waved him a silent bye as the assistant that Calderon returned, scanning the room to mentally tally who was there before he left to find the others. Leaving Scorpius alone with Professor Ashain again - or not alone exactly as there were still healers and other injured people and their families and friends, they were in the very corner though and no one else was at the professor's bedside unless they were healers seeing to him every so often. Scorpius wasn't actually sure how much time had passed or was stilling passing, he just drifted in and out of his thoughts like he had been. He was sure it had been hours since the attack.

Eventually though he became aware of someone standing opposite him, he glanced up at the stranger but Scorpius' first guess was that he was a relative of Professor Ashain. He had the same eyes and same shade of hair, although the stranger had his a bit longer and not combed unlike the professor. Scorpius would have guessed brother if he didn't know that professor's only brother was dead, a cousin maybe? Although he didn't think Professor Ashain had a cousin. The man's handsome face looked incredibly anxious as he gazed at the professor, he was fingering his spirally wand nervously and jumping at any noise, for some reason thought wearing bright green and bright red were a good color combination.

"Can I help you?" Scorpius wondered of the man who jolted in surprise at being addressed and looked around the room fearfully before glancing at Scorpius.

"Are you related to Lucius Malfoy by any chance?" the man asked cocking his head to one side curiously.

"He's my grandfather, I'm Scorpius Malfoy. Are you related to Professor Ashain by any chance?"

"He's my son, I'm Aurelius Ashain," the stranger told him and Scorpius had to resist the urge to drop his jaw in shock before the man giggled, "professor."

"He's really your son?"

"Do you really think I would be here if he wasn't?" Aurelius said losing his brief glee and jumping at another noise from behind them, scowling anxiously as he continued fingering his wand, "I don't like leaving the safety of home. Although home isn't really safe anymore, not since Father decided to befriend a bunch of Death Eaters. Your grandfather is one of them, his eyes are so creepy. I never liked Lucius, he used to pick on me even though we were in the_ same_ house but he didn't have creepy eyes like that."

"Wait a bunch of Death Eaters?" Scorpius asked with a frown, he was sure his grandfather had just been befriending Corvinus for some unknown reason.

"Yes, first Lucius and then that Lestrange brother. Both making Unbreakable Vows and I have to be the Bonder, I don't see why, I don't like it. I don't like Death Eaters. They're creepy. And evil. And evil and creepy. There should be a word for evil and creepy like... evipy or creevil. Woah, creevil. I don't like creevil. That sounds creepy. Or maybe that's good because its supposed to sound creepy. And evil."

"What Unbreakable Vows? My grandfather wouldn't make an Unbreakable Vow," Scorpius said in confusion, that really didn't sound like his grandfather. Why would be do that? Why with Corvinus Ashain?

"He did. I was the Bonder, weren't you listening? I didn't want to do it but they said Lucius would go if I did so I did. I don't like Lucius. I don't like Lucius even less with his creevil eyes," Aurelius rambled on before giggling again, "I used it in a sentence. Like a word! Only you and I know what it means. Pretty neat, eh?"

"What vows did they make?" Scorpius repeated as Aurelius became startled again and jumped, "why don't you sit down?"

"I can't sit down, what if I get attacked? Sitting down isn't the most defensive position to be in. Its alright for you because you're in the corner, you have the best view of the room so you'll know if you're about to be attacked but my side I'm like a legless fish on land that's an easy target because I wouldn't see it coming so I couldn't fight back. Wait fish don't have legs in the first place, do they? Okay a legless spider - no wait! I don't want to be spider, I don't like spiders they have so many legs. My animagus form is a bird so it wouldn't matter if I didn't have legs then because I could still fly away so I can't have that. What animal has legs?"

"Most of them."

"A lizard? No. I don't like lizards. Ooh a crocodile, I like them, they have snappy jaws. That would mean it probably doesn't matter if they had no legs because they could still bite the person. Oh a kitten, they're cute, everyone loves kittens. Except people allergic to cats I guess. I'm not allergic to cats. I'm allergic to the main ingredient in potions for pain though. Do you have any allergies? Wait, no I couldn't be a kitten because I'm too old and I don't like cats. Cats aren't cute because they can scratch you and-"

"I get your point, you don't need to think of an animal," Scorpius interrupted before Aurelius could carry on his with his rant and got up to give him his seat, "you can sit there and then you're not a legless anything."

Aurelius seemed to consider this for a moment before Professor Ashain's breathing changed, becoming spluttering and awkward and the healers swarmed like vultures once more. Scorpius had become fairly used to it, it had happened a few times and the healers would rush over and he'd be shoved aside, they'd do their thing and stabilize him again. Aurelius was clearly not used to it, he looked distraught and on the verge of tears, he didn't look away like Scorpius did. Scorpius thought it might be best to get him away, it tended to take a while and Aurelius didn't seem capable of taking his eyes off his son.

"Come on, let's get some air," Scorpius offered and Aurelius jumped again, Scorpius wondered if he was always that jittery but Aurelius just nodded and went with him miserably. He just still managed to startle at every sound and every imagined sound as they walked aimlessly through the nearly deserted halls, people giving him strange concerned looks as they passed, "he's... he's going to be okay, you know?"

"He is?" Aurelius repeated as his face lit up with relief, snapping him from his melancholy silence before Scorpius could confirm of deny it, "the letter made it sound like he was probably going to die within the day and people aren't very forthcoming with information, they just seem so busy and I don't want to bother them. I mean what if they were about to save someone's life but because they stopped to talk to me the person died? I wouldn't that to happen so I was afraid to ask. I was worried about Atty though. I may not talk to him anymore after... what happened with his brother but I don't want him to die. I didn't want either of them to die. Admittedly I'm not the best father but I did love them. Nothing good can come from wars."

"You think there's going to be a war?"

"I think there already is even if the Ministry side hasn't realized it yet," Aurelius told him with a despondent shrug before he jumped another foot in the air when a ghost floated in front of them, "I wouldn't worry about it though, you are only what eleven? Twelve? Or do you just look young for your age? With any luck it will have ended by the time by the time you're old enough to worry about it. You should go back to worrying about whatever eleven year olds worry about, when I was eleven I mostly worried about bullies because your grandfather used to pick on me, did I mention that? And I started to worry about girls too, I always had crushes on girls who were older than me and out of my league, teenagers don't want to date eleven or twelve year olds."

"What if the Shadows win?" Scorpius asked worriedly trying to get Aurelius back on track and not feel a pang of disappointment, did that mean he'd never have a chance with Molly? He mentally slapped himself again, it really wasn't the time. There never was a time.

"Then the Shadows win, does it actually matter? People will still die either way, everyone loses no matter who the victor. No point fighting, no point trying. Just wait until it all blows over and stay out of it. If you can anyway, obviously you can't help it if you get attacked. Its the only logical thing to do and beg your family to do the same. I fear its too late for Lucius though. He's creevil. Beyond redemption. I don't like him, he used to pick me. It wouldn't surprise me if he's working with the Shadows already. I like the word creevil actually, what do you think? Suits its meaning, I think. I always liked making up things, not that Hogwarts professors really like that, they never really liked me actually, said I was immensely bright but extremely lazy and had the attention span of a gnat. But I think that's really un- why is there so many ghosts here?!"

"My grandfather wouldn't..." Scorpius started to say but changed his mind, afraid it would sent Aurelius off tangent again, "so what were the Unbreakable Vows?"

"Erm... An item, something about an item for a task and the vow was for Lucius to promise to give it back when he was done and the second was a memory of said task. It was all very shady. Well everything Father does seems shady because he's just simply awful and everything Lucius does seems shady too because he's mean and he used to pick on me, did you know that? And he was a Death Eater and Death Eaters are bad. His eyes were so creepy. Very dark. And creepy eyes. Is there a word for that? Dark and creepy? There should be. He wouldn't have eyes like that if he was up to good."

"I get it, you don't like my grandfather. Did they say what the item or task was? Maybe it wasn't anything bad."

"Yes because two mean, creepy, evil men make Unbreakable Vows over such harmless things. You realize what happens if you break an Unbreakable Vow? Lucius is putting his life at risk. And I don't hold it against you for being related to Lucius by the way, I assume you're not that bad a person because you were sitting with Atty. It must be weird having him for a teacher, what does he teach? Wait was your question? Oh yes, I didn't know what the item or task was but knowing Father I could take a guess. Why do you want to know anyway? Ooh, I always liked that portrait, the background is rather pretty, don't you think?"

"Because I'm worried about my grandfather," Scorpius admitted as Aurelius cocked his head to one side to look at him again before sighing.

"Father's a collector of magical artifacts, he's very emotionally invested in one in particular and since Lucius' visit its been gone. Its this orb-"

"A blood rune orb?" Scorpius guessed feeling his blood becoming ice in his veins, what would his grandfather want with a blood rune orb? Why was everyone suddenly interesting in the same stupid rare old magic? Aurelius looked impressed he knew what it was and nodded, "you don't think the task is using it to activate the obelisk and the magic protection?"

"Its my best guess. Or to set up the wards because you have to do that first. Or both. How much do you know about then? How do you know it anyway?"

"You could say its a hobby."

"It is interesting I suppose and the fact the Shadows stole some blood rune ite- A tuatara! A tuatara without legs, that's what I'd pick. I like them, they're cute," Aurelius burst out, snapping his fingers triumphantly as Dom came out of the Great Hall and saw them, blinking in surprise, "that's what I'd be. What would you be? Why were we trying to think of legless animals again? Oh wait I remember."

"Scorpius, no offense but you could do with cleaning yourself up. You look like death, you're covered in blood," Dom pointed out and Aurelius looked relieved.

"Thank you for pointing that out, I've been wanting to say something for ages but I didn't want to seem rude. Are you a part-Veela by any chance, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Yes I am... why... why do you ask?" Dom wondered looking like someone had just thrown a bucket of ice cold water on her face she seemed so shocked.

"You just kind of have that pretty Veela-esque look about you," Aurelius waved it off dismissively but Dom's face split into a genuine smile as she blushed and stared at the ground, "don't take it the wrong way or anything, I've just spent a lot of time with Veela and part-Veela in the past and you just share their facial characteristics. I'm good with faces. Although one time I mistook an identical twin for the other and-"

"I'm going to get cleaned up," Scorpius interrupted before Aurelius could veer off into another tangent, the two nodded appreciatively as Scorpius slipped away.

He was heading to the nearest toilet to clean himself up, thankfully it was deserted. He turned on the water and put his hands against the edges of the sink, leaning against it as he forced his head to look up into his reflection. He did look rather a state if he was honest, he'd gotten used to seeing the blood on his hands but he hadn't seen the two bloody handprints he'd left on his face, his bangs were tinted crimson. Scorpius hated looking at himself in the mirror, hated seeing himself wearing the wrong colored robes of Gryffindor, hated seeing the pathetic weak little child staring back at him with his ugly gray eyes that revealed the pain inside he tried so hard to hide, although no one else seemed to notice that. He hated it. He hated himself. He wished he was stronger, he wished he was powerful, so powerful that no one could ever hurt him or anyone he cared about, not filthy muggles, not Shadows and Professor Ashain wouldn't have to have risked his life to save him. He did his best to wash the blood away and look presentable but he felt in a dark mood.

He returned to where he'd left Aurelius and Dom but neither were there so he returned to the hospital wing, Aurelius was sitting in his seat beside Professor Ashain with Dom beside him as they continued talking and Dom actually looked interested in what he was saying. Scorpius supposed it was alright to leave Professor Ashain alone with his own father for awhile, he didn't feel much like listening to Aurelius' ramble. Disappointingly he also noticed Varanian was awake in the opposite bed, Scorpius glared in the headmaster's direction as he left. He returned to the Great Hall, that was where Calderon would be and Michael.

It was just as busy in the Great Hall as it was in the hospital, more healers were still bustling around people and most people seemed to have a cut, bruise or bandage somewhere on them. Calderon was leaning against the wall beside the door, arms folded, lights flying, watching it all and he noticed Michael going around with the healers. He met his friend's eyes and saw relief there but Michael seemed busy as a healer poked him and they returned to going around the injured, checking on them he supposed as everything had to have been done in haste earlier. Instead he stood beside Calderon and leaned back against the wall, also gazing at all the people. He recognized some people, Rivers was sobbing in a ball, he saw a few other Weasley's about but not his friends, a few teachers and the librarian he saw, some people from the Quidditch team, Nott he also saw with his brother and a younger girl who looked Lucy's age with a man and woman that he guessed from the resemblance was their parents. He didn't see Molly though, although it was a big room and a big crowd and he was only by the entrance so he supposed she was just further back or home or something as she was definitely alive.

"How's Ticcy?" Calderon wondered.

"Stable I guess. Still alive at least. His dad's with him," Scorpius answered and Calderon nodded, a glimmer of relief in his shadowy eyes as he continued surveying the hall, "what are you doing?"

"I'm supposed to keep an eye on everyone in case they get attacked again, they don't think they will but the Aurors told me to wait here."

"Sounds like fun," Scorpius pointed out sarcastically.

"Its really not," Calderon sighed looking pained and almost tearful, "everyone's acting like I did a really amazing thing just because I banished the shadows with my magic. There's no getting out of being in the paper because too many people saw, I'm sick of people thanking me and asking me how I did like it was something special. Shadows don't like light is all, I just threw a load of light power at them."

"You did a good thing and saved lives, you're a hero."

"No I'm not, Scor. I'm nothing but a failure. I'm less than human. I'm insane. I'm a Death Eater's son. I shouldn't be thanked and I shouldn't be treated like I did a good thing."

"Hey Marius," Varanian greeted his assistant in an unusually... nice tone as he entered the Great Hall, the headmaster had scruffy tawny hair again and most of the scars except the ones on his cheeks were unnoticeable. He didn't have a perpetual scowl on his face either, if anything he looked guilty.

"How are you feeling?"

"Great actually, better than I have all year really. Except for the whole attack, that's not good."

"I guess you were right about the school being in danger from the Shadows."

"I guess but it doesn't matter," Varanian said as he shook his head, "I... I don't think its a good idea for me to be headmaster anymore, I'm resigning."

"What?!" Calderon and Scorpius burst out in union but Varanian seemed unfazed and just nodded and looked guilty as the sandy-haired Auror came over to them.

"I'm doing more harm than good, I'm not doing anything good and I think its best I quit while I can before something horrible happens or I can't. And Marius... I'm been treating you really horribly all year and that just isn't right, you don't deserve that especially after everything you've done for me and you're virtually the only person who can stand to be around me anyway and I'm really sor-"

"Hello," the Auror interrupted and Varanian shot him a dark look, "Cel Rooke, not sure we're all met."

"We've met," Varanian growled sounding more like himself, "did you want something?"

"Yes, you need to come with me back to the Auror office. You're the headmaster so we need to talk some things through."

"I'm quitting."

"Doesn't matter. Protocol."

"Can't it wait?"

"No. It has to be now, the sooner after you've regained consciousness the better."

"Will it take long?"

"It'll take longer if you don't come on," Cel Rooke pointed out and Scorpius realized he'd been the one with the potion that had saved Professor Ashain's life, he opened his mouth to ask him but he was already leading Varanian away who promised he'd talk to them when he got back. Calderon looked as stunned as Scorpius felt, was Varanian serious about quitting? Would he give his friends back their memories? Scorpius didn't want to get his hopes up but he could use some, he was all drained of hope again as he worried about his grandfather, the orb and his favorite professor. He hoped Professor Ashain would still be there when he got back.

"Are you okay?" Calderon asked after a few minutes.

"Not really," Scorpius admitted with a sigh and resisted the urge to add '_the only reason I'm not in pieces right now is because there's something seriously wrong with me,_' "are you?"

"Not really," Calderon also admitted and for some reason Scorpius smiled weakly, at least he still had Calderon. They didn't say much but Scorpius felt a bit better, Calderon's presence was comforting even though his worries were eating away at the insides of his mind. Dom returned after awhile.

"Hey Dom," Scorpius called out to her and she came over to him, "is Aurelius with Professor Ashain?"

"Yeah," the Weasley girl nodded, "but they took him to St Mungo's. His condition is too critical to stay here. Aurelius went with him because he wanted to be with his son."

"They took Professor Ashain away just like that? I... I didn't even get to say goodbye."

"He's unconscious, not like he would hear you. And yes, he's got a better chance of surviving with better medical resources that Hogwarts doesn't have. Aurelius and I are going to keep in touch, I'll keep you informed of his progress if you want."

"Sure," Scorpius agreed although still felt disheartened as the redheaded girl walked away, "I hope he'll be okay."

"So do I," Calderon muttered just before Varanian returned with jet-black and a livid expression on his face, "hey Pippy, can I visit Ticcy at some point?"

"What?" Varanian barked twirling on his heel to face him and glaring at the assistant with a look of disgust, "of course you can't, you worthless idiot. There's stuff to be done, can't have you stupidly getting yourself hurt again because who would protect the school then? You especially can't risk yourself for scum like Ashain."

"Hey!" Scorpius snapped darkly and Varanian turned his scathing eyes on Scorpius, "take that back, he's not scum."

"You, him and Marius are all scum, Death Eater relatives are all scum," Varanian sneered angrily, "you make me sick."

"Are you still quitting?" Calderon wondered.

"Of course not! I was just feeling upset about the attack but now I'm not as its not really my fault, those useless Aurors were supposed to protect us but they failed. Aren't you glad I made you come now, Marius?"

Varanian stalked off without another word, he and Calderon exchanged identically confused looks. Scorpius had given up hope trying to figure the headmaster out and Calderon seemed to have as well, his behavior was just... odd. He really, really hated Varanian.

Order gradually started to come from the chaos though when Calderon conjured food from the kitchens to hand out to all for dinner, Scorpius wasn't really hungry but ate at Caldeorn's insistence. He didn't know what was happening but Calderon gave him permission to go back to his dormitory so Scorpius did so, he was the first to make it back to his bed, he'd been planning on waiting for Michael who'd still been tied up with the healers but he was asleep the second his head touched the bed. His dreams were filled with nightmares, of Shadows and blood runes and glowing black eyes and of Professor Ashain dying over and over again to save him, he woke up shaking and coated in sweat more than once but by then Michael was already back and asleep. When morning came he felt more weak and pathetic than ever.

* * *

_**Thanks to:** Lucifersdaughter, Harry-Potter-Magic, SDF, Diddleymaz and Winged-Panther for reviewing!_

_**Questions:**  
**Are things gonna be looking up for Scorpius again and can he possibly solve all this and keep Michael and all those he cares for out of harms way?**  
I'm sorry but I can't answer that, you'll have to wait and see. Also for the record loved your Alpha reference  
_

_**Author's Note**: Next chapter should be the very last one before the finale begins! I'm so excited to finally get to it, I had trouble concentrating on this one. I am renaming this when I start the finale so heads up again the title of this story will be changing to _**Gray: Scorpius Malfoy and the Blood Runes**_ in hopefully the chapter after next. Also random question, is anyone curious who Calderon killed to become a gray soul in the first place?_


	73. I: Greatest Fears

_**Thanks to:** Winged-panther1, Diddleymaz and Lucifersdaughter for reviewing!_

_**Author's Note:** I don't know if there was any confusion but the finale event thing will take up more than one chapter so there's more than one left before book 2 begins although I don't know how many of you will be reading that. The name of this fic will be changing to _**Gray: Scorpius Malfoy and the Blood Runes**_ next chapter_

* * *

"Lu-cius, Lucius," a voice was calling him from his slumber and Lucius started to stir before immediately feeling a slap across his face, like being hit in the face with a wall and the voice barked gruffy, "Lucius, wake up faster!"

"What?" Lucius wondered rubbing his cheek and shooting a glare in Brutus' direction as the Soul Eater ran his hand through his uncouth hair, he must have fallen asleep at his desk again and was greeted by a painfully familiar throbbing headache.

"C'mon, wake up already. You need to be my lookout, take my hand."

"You could've slapped me more gently," Lucius grumbled as Brutus held out his deformed hand, Brutus looked extremely confused - he'd gotten much better at reading Brutus' facial expressions.

"But I was being gentle."

Lucius just sighed and took the Soul Eater's hand resignedly, it didn't even bother him as they teleported the shadow way although he still wondered - not for the first time - why they didn't just apparate like normal witches and wizards did. It was a bit awkward going from sitting to suddenly standing and only Brutus' grip kept him falling flat on his face, Lucius was surprised to find himself in a sterile hospital-like... they _were_ in a hospital. He scowled in confusion, he'd been expecting them to be in the wood-paneled place or the middle of nowhere or somewhere not in a hospital that looked like St Mungo's as it had magical paraphernalia.

"Don't we usually stay out of the open like this?" Lucius wondered deepening his frown as Brutus' eyes flicked closed, "what if someone sees us? You're supposed to be dead, you wouldn't want to blow your cover."

"That's why you're my lookout," Brutus commented as he opened his eyes again, "just stand at the foot of this bed and tell me if anyone's coming while I do this."

"Fine," Lucius grumbled and went to stand where he was told, glancing around at the other occupants in the strangely overcrowded ward although considering the previous day's attack he knew there, "what if they notice us?"

"They're possessed so the Specters can force them to stay asleep so they don't notice anything. The gray souls have already been killed."

"Nice," Lucius muttered although it was easier to not care about random strangers, Scorpius was unhurt and that was all that mattered.

Draco and Astoria had nearly had a fit when they heard, they'd almost marched to the school to take Scorpius back because _clearly_ it wasn't safe for him. The only thing that stopped them was knowing that Marius Calderon had been the one to banish the Shadows with his incredible power, the person Scorpius looked up to so he was probably safest with him although they'd still sent him a letter asking him if he wanted to come home because that was a different story entirely. Lucius was now near a hundred percent certain that Scorpius' beloved assistant was the person capable of banishing the Specter and saving his soul, not that it helped knowing that. Lucius wasn't sure how he could make Calderon aware of the Specter without saying it which he was sure that would get him killed by the Specter before Calderon could do anything, assuming he would want to help Lucius in the first place and relish his suffering.

"You're going to be okay, you know?" Brutus said gently and Lucius glanced back in confusion before he realized Brutus was sitting on the edge of the bed and talking to the person in it, Lucius hadn't bothered to see who it was as he'd assumed it was probably an assassination. Now he saw though that the person was Brutus' brother - and Scorpius' favorite professor - and Brutus was feeding him some flask of potion, lifting the unconscious former Auror's head to let him drink, "I bet it probably tastes like crap but it'll help, way better than that stuff they're giving you. You'd probably think its interesting how the instructions for this potion have become so diluted over time, this is straight from the source though. You have to fight though, Atty, it'll only help as long as your heart keeps beating, just keep fighting."

"What are you doing?"

"Get back to keeping lookout," Brutus growled without stopping giving the professor the potion, "I'm saving my brother's life in case you hadn't noticed and you're helping, you owe him."

"I owe him?" Lucius repeated raising an eyebrow but he turned back to the silent, oddly deserted corridor.

"He's nearly dead from saving _your_ grandson's life."

"I thought Scorpius was off-limits?!" Lucius burst out in panic and glanced back to see Brutus putting the cap back on the flask and pocketing it.

"Look at the corridor not me. The Master wanted to see his reaction."

"The Master wanted to see his reaction!? He's _eleven!_"

"You wouldn't understand," Brutus said with a sigh as he shook his head and turned his attention back to his brother or rather half-brother technically, gazing down solemnly and gently stroking his hair, "it'll be okay in the end, you'll see. The world will be a better place in the end, we'll be the rulers so we'll make sure of it, no one will ever look down on us again, they'll look up when we kick them to the ground or they'll die. Worse than die, we'll rip the magic right of them because they won't deserve their power, we'll give it someone who does. The muggle vermin will be our slaves, isn't that kind of us? They get to _live_, the ones not eradicated anyway. They're like pigs or cows or sheep, they have their uses but they haven't got our level of intelligence so they're better off in captivity with people taking care of them. It'll be great, you'll see, Atty, you just have to hold on and everything will be okay. I'll make sure of it."

"Can we go now?" Lucius pleaded, not really liking the tangent into world domination. Brutus shot him a dark look but seemed to silently agree.

"I love you, brother," Brutus whispered as he stood up and gently squeezed his brother's hand in farewell before walking back over to Lucius.

"Just out of curiosity, how do you expect your ex-_Auror_ brother who just nearly died fighting _against_ the Shadows to ever willingly go along with your plans for all this?"

"He'll come around eventually, we'll find a way. Its not his fault he thinks like that. His bitch blood-traitor mother twisted his mind into thinking muggles and mudbloods were okay, got herself killed so its like everything she ever said or did could never be wrong and because of how she died the Death Eaters always seemed like the bad guys to him... You still want Scorpius to not be a Soul Eater, don't you?"

"Of course I still don't, your master _murdered_ his sister and gave him to abusive muggles."

"Wouldn't you rather he live in the shadows than die in the light?" Brutus wondered scowling slightly as he offered Lucius his hand, Lucius took it and they returned to his study but didn't stop their conversation.

"My greatest fear is him getting hurt. I'd rather him not be involved at all. I wish him to just be kept out of it all, never be involved, never be in danger, to not have any part of it."

"Like that's possible."

"Brutus, you're not stupid, can't you see this whole thing is only going to end badly? Look at what happened to Grindlewald, look at the first two wizarding wars and what happened to You-Know-Who. Its going to be like father, like son," Lucius told him firmly and for some reason this amused Brutus who smirked and chuckled, he scowled in annoyance, "assuming all that stuff is true. And I'm being serious. This can and _will_ only end badly for your master. Mark my words."

"Good thing the master's not watching you now or you'd have pissed the master off."

"The master isn't watching me right now?"

"No, the master's resting after the whole attack thing... when you're connected to the Specters like that it effects you if anything happens, leaves you weak and drained so the master must rest. I'm on shadow-duty right now, well when I get back anyway," Brutus explained and didn't look very happy, "I should be going. Bye."

"Wait!" Lucius called him back desperately and the shadows halted their swarming on him, "what you said before, about being able to regain control of your body while being controlled by the master... how do you do that?"

"Why? Didn't I also mention the Specters would tear your soul apart if you succeeded? You'd have seconds of free will again then get a fate worse than death," Brutus pointed out as he cocked his head to one side, Lucius did know this but he thought if he could learn how to fight it off temporarily then maybe he could tell Calderon and he could banish it like he did the people during the attack, "you just think you can escape from it somehow, don't you?"

"Can you blame me?" Lucius wondered with a sigh but Brutus looked sympathetic rather than angry and thoughtful.

"No. But it really won't work, you let it take hold and it'll take your soul... eventually."

"Oddly enough, I have realized that. I'm just out of hope."

"Okay," Brutus sighed and scowled, "your mistake from before was trying to fight the master out of your mind, the master isn't the one that controls. The Specter is the thing that overwhelms your mind, the master just controls the Specter. You just have to ignore the other consciousness and focus on fighting off the Specter, you can't make it leave your body but you can make it leave your mind and if its not controlling your mind then the master can't control you. As soon as you throw it off your mind though, it will go for your soul and rip you to shreds in seconds like its been told, you may have time to call a few words out for help but no one could say the banishing spell in time even if they wanted to. Its been tried in experiments and no matter how fast the other person is speaking, your soul will be destroyed before banishment, which is why believe me when I say, its suicide. Do you understand?"

"I think so," Lucius commented feeling deflated, wishing he'd gone to the memorial more than ever and trying to remember how fast Calderon had talked in desperation to cling to the threadbare fabric of hope.

"I'm sorry. I'd really rather you not die for as long as possible, I'm not sure how sincere you are but you treat me better than most and for that I'm grateful. Just keep doing as your told and I don't see a reason why you can't still live a long life, see your grandson grow up," Brutus continued as the shadows consumed him, "just don't fight it."

* * *

May was an even more miserably month for Scorpius than April had been. Varanian had changed the rules about the grounds, not only was the Forbidden Forest forbidden but the rest of the grounds too unless it was for classes in which case Calderon would escort them which seemed to bother the assistant as he was pelted with questions about his power. The only exception was Professor Hagrid and even them Calderon had to check on him in the morning, evening and if he went back to his hut for any reason although Calderon minded this less as he got an excuse to dote on the puppies he'd taken a liking to again.

All Quidditch matches and Quidditch practices been cancelled for the rest of the year, the team was crushed although in a way Scorpius supposed it wasn't that bad considering his broom. Since he'd 'given' it to Professor Ashain, Varanian had insisted teachers had to keep their own brooms in their own rooms so every practice he had to retrieve it and bring it back, it was a bit tedious but he'd enjoyed his talks with Professor Ashain when returning it as the former Ravenclaw Seeker had no problem giving tips and advice. He hadn't relished the thought of breaking into the professor's office every time to use it but he did still miss practice, the nerves from the matches he missed a lot less though.

Lessons had been terrible the first week, several students and even teachers not returned from spending time with injured family - or just time with family as some relatives had died - so due to the absences a lot of teachers just allowed studying and homework to be done and all classes with absent professors - Defense Against the Dark Arts and Potions were the only ones effecting Scorpius' schedule - were free periods. Scorpius had made a game of trying to write each essay longer than the last because he was that bored and desperate for a distraction from his worries, he felt like it was eating him alive inside.

The only good thing was that Professor Ashain was still alive, every day Calderon would update him that the professor continued to defy death and was still alive for which Scorpius was eternally relieved although he was anxious by the following day. Every few days Dom would give him a more detailed account from what Aurelius had said, mostly that he was doing miraculously well and his condition was stable but he remained unconscious.

After the first week most people were back though and teachers arranged to cover the classes with absent professors, it wasn't too bad for Defense Against the Dark Arts - except for it not being Professor Ashain - as many of the professors had fought in the Battle of Hogwarts and knew a little something about the subject, potions on the other hand was sorely lacking in professors who knew what they were talking about. Varanian was the obvious exception, he was also helping cover the classes and he was frustratingly good at Potions, Scorpius had so desperately wanted him to be incompetent as a teacher. It made Scorpius feel ill watching Albus lapping up the praise Varanian gave him - Albus had developed a real talent for potionmaking - because he was oblivious to the memories lost. Mostly Varanian was a good teacher, kept everyone in line and was maybe a bit harsh but fair. Except to Michael and Scorpius.

Varanian would ride him for the smallest mistakes - Scorpius knew others who had also made the same mistakes but not been crucified for it - although Scorpius got immense satisfaction whenever he did something so perfectly that Varanian couldn't find fault, he would fume angrily and grudgingly tell him it was 'passable.' Michael on the other hand wasn't very good at the subject and Varanain seemed to make it his mission in the classes to torment his friend, taunting him for his failures and insulting him for his mistakes, he even went as far to threaten Michael with 'severe punishment' if he didn't improve, smirking and casually fingering his wand as a veiled threat. He knew it upset Michael, as if literally torturing an eleven year old hadn't been bad enough. On days with Varanian as teacher, Scorpius would often return from his detentions and see Michael crying. Varanian would just make them sit apart if Scorpius tried to defend Michael and Michael would always wipe his eyes and pretend he was fine as usual putting a brave face on everything and trying to seem upbeat despite everything, Scorpius still felt exceptionally useless at being unable to help his friend.

"Do you think they're better off?" Michael asked as they sat in the Common Room one evening near the end of May, Scorpius had been teaching him Wizard's Chess as an alternative to studying to death for the exams.

"What?" Scorpius wondered, trying to think what that had to do with him checking Michael's King.

"Do you think they're better off?" Michael repeated with a nod towards their former friends, the trio were sitting together laughing about something, "without their memories I mean? Let's face it, we're both miserable but they seem... okay. Do you think when we find a way to get the word out about Varanian that we should let them keep forgetting? Ignorance is bliss they say."

"I think they'd want to remember," Scorpius offered as he considered it, they _did_ seem happier or as happy as you could be with the Shadows around. Maybe they were better off with him and Michael. That depressed him even more, "would you forget if you could?"

"No. Our experiences make us who we are, the good and the bad and I'd be a different person if I forgot all the bad memories," Michael said firmly shaking his head, "besides if I don't remember then no one would know what Varanian did, stopping him is more important than being happy. You have to put what's best for everyone above what's best for yourself, no matter what. What about you?"

Scorpius had guiltily been thinking that maybe it would be a good idea as soon as Michael said bad memories, some things wouldn't be worth losing his friends but if someone offered to make him forget about Marvin and the muggles and everything he'd suffered at their hands... he would be much more open to that. Even if it changed him. Maybe it would change him back to how he'd been before and his family would be happy again? Then again, Calderon had mentioned trying to erase his memory and just making it worse. Maybe some things you weren't allowed to forget. He was dragged from his newfound depressing line of thought by Molly's return - he hadn't seen her since the attack as she'd been out of school still - and she ran over to him the instant she saw him.

"I'm so glad you're okay!" Molly exclaimed as she threw her arms around him, his depression was smothered by the blissful scent of cherries. Despite everything he smiled, if he could just hug her forever then he'd never worry again. His bubble burst when she started speaking again - still hugging him - and he realized she was crying, "I t-told my dad to go back f-for you b-b-but he s-said it was too dangerous and wouldn't and I was s-s-so scared that you would d-d-die too and it'd be all my fault and after you saved my l-life and everything."

"It's... It's okay," Scorpius tried to sound comforting but had a feeling he failed as she pulled away and wiped her streaming eyes, "I'm fine, its not your fault and I'm okay. Not a scratch."

"I'm s-sorry, I'm not usually a crier. I've j-just been a wreck since..."

"Its understandable you'd be upset after... anyone would. Its better to cry and get your emotions out than not be able to cry at all, bottling them up so they eat you up inside isn't fun."

"Th-Thanks," Molly said wiping her eyes more with little success, Scorpius felt the overwhelming desire to hug her and tell her it was alright or go back in time and save Audrey so Molly wouldn't be sad. Rose came over to them at that point looking stunned.

"Quidditch is canceled," Rose pointed out gently, "you don't need to pretend to friends with the Malfoy anymore and you certainly don't need to hug scum like that."

"Sc- wha- I..." Molly trailed off looking absolutely bewildered before anger blazed in her eyes and her hair looked like flames of rage that billowed down her back, she even managed to look beautiful angry as she screamed loud enough for the whole common room to hear, "he's not scum! And I'm not pretending anything! He _is_ my friend and he _used_ to be yours too, I don't know what in the bloody hell is wrong with all or what happened between you all but whatever it was it doesn't matter! You don't call people scum and you don't be so prejudiced and you don't be so mean! And do you really think I'm that cruel to befriend someone _just_ to win at Quidditch?! What is wrong with you?! Why am I related to such horrible people?!"

Molly didn't wait for a reply as her anger faded and she ran off in tears again, racing for her dormitory. Scorpius almost went after her but it was the _girl's_ dormitory after all and the prefect standing near the entrance didn't look like the kind to allow him to pass, Dom had seen the whole exchange and put away the letter she'd been writing to go after her cousin but paused to glare at Rose who looked even more stunned.

"She's right you know," Dom commented bluntly, "cherish the family and friends you have because you never know when you'll have none, that's what Aurelius says. Its good advice. You should take it instead of alienating everyone. Scorpius is alright."

"This is all your fault," Rose snapped to Scorpius as soon as Dom had gone upstairs after Molly, Abby and Albus seemed to be staying well out of it, she also glared at Michael, "and yours. You're a thief and you're a Malfoy. You're both scum. I wouldn't be friends with either of you if my life depended on it, you're the worst kind of people in the world and I hate you. Stop telling vicious lies to people that we used to be friends, are you really that pathetic?"

"We get it, we're pathetic scum, blah blah blah," Michael muttered miserably and Rose snorted in disgust and stormed back to the others, Michael sighed, "let's just go to bed."

Scorpius was more than happy to oblige. Not that things got any better the next day, flicking through the Daily Prophet at breakfast - it was a Sunday - and saw another story about a missing boy. In this case two boys, twins, who had gone missing two weeks before their tenth birthday just like Scorpius and the other boy whose name had been left out to protect his identity. He shoved the paper aside and refused to think about it in any more detail, they were just coincidences. Freakish coincidences but coincidences nonetheless. It wasn't the same muggles, the muggles weren't involved with wizards, his dreams had been dreams and they'd stopped anyway. His brain might actually explode if he worried about anything else. He overheard his former friends talking about the missing boys though, apparently they were family friends and the trio didn't seem very happy after that.

His mood didn't improve any the next day either, Varanian was covering their Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson, Scorpius' blood seethed with rage as he saw the headmaster in _Professor Ashain's_ chair, smirking cruelly as he told them all to sit down. Scorpius would have sat at the back to try avoid him like usual if he wasn't so curious about the shuddering trunk at the front of the class, what was Varanian playing at?

"Can anyone tell me what's the most important thing when using defensive magic? Fifty house points if anyone can get it," Varanian questioned to the class and almost every hand shot up. Almost every hand had shot down before long and Varanian seemed pleased that no one got it, "it was courage."

"Courage?" Nott spluttered which earned him a glare from the currently raven-haired Varanian, "that's ridiculous! What has that got to do with Defense Against the Dark Arts?"

"Everything! What use is attack or defense or preparation or knowing your opponent or any of the things you all guessed if you freeze up? How are you to defend yourself from so much as a pixie if you're too scared to fight? Too scared to remember anything you've learned? It's all for naught if you're too scared when the time comes to use what you know. Which is why today you're all going to be facing your worst fears, if you can face your fears than you can face any foe. Today you'll be facing a boggart," Varanian explained before talking about what a boggart was and what it did, moving on to the spell used against it, he made them practice saying it a lot - although mentioned overcoming your fear and focusing on the change was more important - as he moved all the desks and chairs to one side before turning back to them, "Michael, why don't you go first? Everyone else get back behind him."

Michael blanched but stepped forward nevertheless clutching his wand tightly in a sweaty palm, Varanian didn't even ask him if was ready before flicking his wand at the trunk that shot open. For a second there was nothing and then a werewolf stepped out, a few people jumped back and squeaked fearfully as the ferocious wolf-like beast advanced on its prey, snarling with its huge knife-like teeth visible for all to see. Varanian looked like he was enjoying himself as he watched from one side, Michael wasn't the best at magic but he raised his wand bravely and didn't hesitate.

"_Riddikulus!_" Michael cried and a whip-like crack broke the air.

The werewolf stopped in its tracks and immediately whined and started twirling in a circle trying to snap playfully at its tail as if it was a puppy, Michael grinned triumphantly as the class laughed although Varanian only glowered and told them to get in a line. Scorpius went to the back, trying to think of what his worst fear was, he thought it might be Professor Ashain dying - although by all accounts he was defying the odds and hanging on but still unconscious - but he had no idea how the boggart would do that or how he would make it not scary. Michael joined him at the back looking relieved for it to be over with.

Scorpius watched everyone else in the class do it, not laughing with the rest or paying much attention to people he didn't really know or care about. Nott's worst fear - surprisingly - was a man resembling him telling him he was a disappointment to his family and not as good as his brother at anything, he thought Nott was going to run for a minute before he turned it into the man wearing some rather frilly girlish bright pink dress robes and the class laughed harder than ever. Rose's was a giant spider that tripped over its own web and got its legs all tangled up in the sticky silk but her cousins' was much odder, Albus' turned into _Varanian_. Everyone looked shocked by this, no one more so than Albus himself before boggart-Varaniain turned into a boggart-Dumbledore with glowing back eyes like from the attack, Albus looked actually relieved as he cast the spell and turned it into a healthy, kindly normal eyed Dumbledore who smiled warmly and said it was an honor to meet the one named after him. Abby's boggart became her father, slumped on the ground covered in blood with glazed eyes. Dead. She looked about to burst into tears but Varanian told her to stay strong, she defiantly cast the spell and her father returned to his usual self and started dancing a lively jig. Varanian congratulated her on her bravery and awarded her twenty house points, saying it was a difficult fear to conquer.

Finally it came to be Scorpius' turn. He still hadn't thought of what it would be or what he could do but to his surprise the boggart seemed to know even though he didn't, it turned into Marvin. Scorpius was so shocked he couldn't move. He could hear people whispering, wondering why his worst fear was just an ordinary looking muggle but he could barely register the sounds of their voice. Marvin smirked cruelly, his emerald eyes glinting with delight and Scorpius felt actual tears in his eyes. _Not you, anyone but you! _he begged but it didn't change. Marvin stepped forward and it took ever ounce of self control he had to keep himself on his feet, he was shaking, his legs were suddenly like tooth picks supporting a mountain and his hands were trembling so much he couldn't keep his wand straight. He couldn't speak with the jagged lump jabbing the insides of his throat. Varanian made no move to try help him.

"What's the matter, freak? Surprised to see me?" Marvin sneered as he batted away Scorpius' wand, it clattered the ground and Scorpius' legs gave way so he was on his knees again, "didn't I tell you that not even death can protect you from me? Nothing can protect you from me. You'll never be safe. You'll never be free."

Scorpius squeezed shut his eyes. He'd still been a prisoner a year ago, it wasn't that long, not really. He hadn't changed, he was still just a weak, pathetic child that couldn't protect himself from the monsters disguised as men. Marvin grabbed his hair and tugged painfully, forcing him to look up at the cruel face. Marvin just smiled and caressed his cheek gently, Scorpius wanted to vomit or cry or both but his tears refused to fall and his bile refused to push past the lump. He tried to reach for his wand but Marvin snatched his unscarred wrist, twisting it painfully and digging in his filthy nails. Scorpius cringed inwardly.

"You worthless, weak, pathetic little brat," Marvin spat darkly as he ran his free hand through Scorpius' hair, "nothing but a coward."

Scorpius just wanted it to stop. He just wanted Marvin to die... To die. Scorpius had already killed him once. He hadn't a wand. He hadn't had a chance in hell. But he'd done it. And he wanted Marvin to die again, this time he didn't fell the slightest shred of remorse as he pictured Marvin dying. In one fluid motion he snatched up his wand with his free left hand and pulled himself from Marvin's grip, he aimed the wand at his nightmare and focused all his strength into watching Marvin die.

"DIE!" Scorpius screamed, too focused to remember the incantation but it worked. His wrist burned and gray light burst from the tip of Scorpius' wand and shot towards Marvin, puncturing him through the chest and throwing him violently back inside the trunk that snapped immediately shut, "AND STAY DEAD!"

Scorpius was quivering as he was reminded where he was. In a class. In Hogwarts. People were staring at him, he could feel their eyes burning holes through the back of his skull. They'd seen Marvin. They knew. They all knew. Michael was standing beside Varanian, his fists clenched as if they'd been arguing but now they were just watching him. Varanian was smiling. Scorpius had to get out. He had to get away. He started to turn for the exit but Varanian stepped in front of him, blocking the path and when Scorpius tried to go around he just grabbed the front of Scorpius' robe.

"Where do you think you're going, you little coward?" Varanian sneered and Scorpius wished the ground would turn into a huge dragon's mouth and eat him. Or Varanian. Preferably the both of them. Focusing on that didn't make it happen though but what he did see out of the corner of his eye was Michael, he went over to the trunk and kicked to towards the headmaster as Varanian opened his mouth to say something else.

"You didn't face your fear," Michael said angrily and aimed his wand at the trunk with a spell on his lips, the trunk flew open and Varanian's eyes widened in fear as he let go of Scorpius.

Scorpius bolted to the exit but the gasps of surprise stopped him in the doorway as he glanced back to see what it was they were gawking at, what Varanian's boggart had become. It was Calderon.

Only it wasn't quite him. The usual muggle clothes and dragon necklace were replaced by fine black robes, intertwined silver serpents decorated it and it looked expensive. Calderon had a very regal air about him from the way he held himself, his presence was commanding and despite the fact he was roughly the same height as Varanian, he seemed taller somehow. His black hair was still neat, dark eyes were harder than flint as he smiled with a cruelty that Scorpius had never seen before.

"I'm more powerful than you, I always was and everyone knew it. Everyone knew I was better than you. Did you actually think you could come close to rivaling me?" Calderon taunted with a sadistic twist to his words before he laughed a disturbing laugh. It might not have sounded so disturbing if Scorpius wasn't used to hearing the assistant laugh several pitches higher than his usual voice but this laugh wasn't high-pitched or manic, it was just bitter and cruel and very ordinary. Calderon stretched out his arm with his palm towards Varanian, "you never could escape my shadow, could you Sal?"

Blinding light exploded from Calderon's palm and Varanian was thrown to the ground, he raised his arm to block out the ferocious light and his hair switched to tawny. Immediately Calderon vanished and the light turned into flames, Scorpius barely heard Varanian saying the spell over the roar of the fire that abruptly burst into thousands of little bubbles that fled back into the trunk that closed behind it. Scorpius just ran, leaving behind a very confused class and an even more confused teacher.


	74. I: The Beginning

_**Thanks to:** Winged-panther1, Harry-Potter-Magic, Aya Diefair, Lucifersdaughter, Diddleymaz and The Guest for reviewing!_

_**Author's Note:** this story title will be changed to _**Gray: Scorpius Malfoy and the Blood Runes**_ when I post the next chapter_

**_Questions:_**  
**_Is Varanian possessed? (really sorry Diddleymaz forgot to answer your question last chapter)_**  
_Interesting theory but I can't say, the reason for Varanian's weird behavior should be explained next chapter_  
**_When will you work on book two?_**  
_As soon as I finish this one. Well start writing it as I already have been planning it, I'm hoping to upload the first chapter the same week as I finish this one_  
**_Why did no one help?_**  
_Varanian told them not to and no one was really in a rush to help Scorpius anyway except Michael who was trying to get Varanian to help (that's why he was standing beside him), Scorpius just kind of zoned out of everything else happening and didn't really notice_  
**_So you are male, was I right?_**  
_I'd rather not say because some people are gender-biased but I'm a girl if it really means that much to you_  
**_Why is Varanian scared of Calderon?_**  
_I can't answer that yet but it should be explained in the next chapter but if you're still unsure feel free to ask and I'll explain in more detail  
_

* * *

Scorpius just fled, he wasn't looking where he was going and he didn't actually care where he was running. He just wanted to be as far away from the boggart that turned into Marvin and Varanian and all the people who knew. He knew he was a coward, he just wanted to run forever. Only a stitch in his side stopped him and he paused breathlessly and angrily slammed his fists against the wall, his wrist was still burning. And then everything was burning. A ring of fire was encircling his wrist and the corridor was ablaze all around, Scorpius could feel the heat on his skin as he turned back to the crimson flames on every side of him except the wall.

He tried to spell to put out the fire but it didn't work, not that he expected it to put out that much. The fire was still raging, the flames were as high as the ceiling. He tried to scream for help over the roar of it but he couldn't hear his own voice. Abruptly there was a blast of light and the flames were vanquished, Scorpius glanced down the corridor and saw Calderon standing there was his arm outstretched. Scorpius looked around at the damage he'd caused, the floors, walls and even the ceiling were scorched black from the inferno, portraits just blackened frames and tapestries charred into smithereens beyond recognition. Scorpius sunk to the ground and buried his head in his knees, feeling drained and willing the tears to fall. Now on top of everything he'd be expelled, his family were right.

"Are you okay, Scor?" Calderon asked him gently and Scorpius glanced back up to see the tired assistant crouching to be on his level looking concerned, "did you get burned?"

"No and no," Scorpius answered miserably, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to set the corridor on fire. It just... just happened."

"Don't worry about that, I can fix it," Calderon offered with a semi-comforting smile as he got back to his feet and throwing his arms outwards, light shot from his palms and swept through the corridor and engulfed Scorpius' entire vision. Scorpius heard the assistant's shrill laughter, despite everything he smiled slightly at hearing it. When Calderon lowered his arms the corridor was restored, portraits and all. Calderon looked drained for a moment but masked it with a smile and a wink, "our secret if you want it to be."

"Thank you," Scorpius told him gratefully as Calderon held out his scarred hand to help him up, Scorpius took it and was glad his wrist had stopped burning although his legs were still shaking as the assistant led him away. Calderon had to think he was pathetic and freakish enough without him knowing about that.

"Do you want to talk about whatever happened to upset you?"

He'd meant to say 'no' but somehow the word got lost on the journey from his brain to his mouth and instead he blurted out everything that had happened in the lesson and even about Marvin's death because he wasn't sure what Caldeorn knew exactly. They went to Calderon's room and Scorpius just couldn't stop talking. He was still talking when Calderon sat him down on the bed and took the spindly seat to sit in front of him, just listening and not even trying to interrupt although he looked surprised when Scorpius told him about Varanian's boggart being his own assistant.

"My family were right, I am ruined and broken and weak. Its been almost a year and I'm still scared of a dead man. I killed him. I _killed_ him, why can't he just stay dead? Why can't I just over it? I try so hard not to think about it," Scorpius finished as he started to vocalize his thoughts.

"Scor... you were hurt, when bad things happen you get wounded either physically or mentally or both. All wounds heal in time, the mental and physical and they can leave scars but it does get better. It doesn't mean you're ruined or broken, you're just hurt and not healed yet. And you're not weak, you're strong. You've been through a lot already and everything that's happened this year can't have helped but you're still here," Calderon told him firmly and there was truth in his eyes, "fears are irrational anyway so don't try and figure it out about seeing Marvin, Azkaban was destroyed and it still scares me if I think about that hellhole. You were scared and you still fought it off, overcoming fear is what makes us brave, not having it all just makes us foolish."

"Is... Is it bad that I don't feel so guilty about killing him anymore? When I defended myself against the boggart I really mean it when I told Marvin to die and stay dead, I'm _glad_ that he's dead. He was evil, he was going to kill me and he... he did things to me and I'm glad he's dead. Is that normal? Have you ever felt that way? Who did you kill?" Scorpius asked fearfully biting his lip before his mouth could blurt out more inappropriate questions, the assistant's eyes widened in surprise and he looked down. Scorpius looked away not sure what to say, feeling anxious that Calderon would think he was a monster after all and as the minutes dragged by he started to think Calderon wouldn't reply.

"Rodolphus Lestrange," Calderon said quietly.

"What?"

"The first person I killed was Rodolphus Lestrange," Calderon explained and rubbed his scarred arm as he looked up, "he was cruel and sadistic anyway but he especially hated me because of my parents, he used to make us call him 'Master' to make himself sound more powerful. After what happened with the Varanians, Father wanted a better watch kept on us or me at least... I never saw the others again but- "

"Wait," Scorpius couldn't help but interrupt at the mention of the headmaster, "what happened with Varanian?"

"They... They wanted us to see what Death Eaters could do with magic so we were brought along to see them kill a blood-traitor and a mudblood, I had Dementors guarding me to repress my magic in case I got freaked out and things started exploding. They could have escaped, Varanian and his wife, but they went upstairs to try save their children instead of saving themselves. It blew my mind, the people I'd been told to hate seemed much better than the Death Eaters, people caring about each other and not torturing them seemed much more right. Caring, kindness, love, the good things are so much worthwhile," Calderon told him and sighed melancholy, "not that it did them much good in the end, they were overpowered in minutes when they got back downstairs. I tried to stop it, I didn't think people who were capable of kindness deserved to die but I couldn't do anything with the Dementors but I was punished for it anyway.

"By the time that was over, it was just Varanian and his wife left, Rodolphus was using the Imperius curse to make them torture each other but Varanian regained control and fought back. The Death Eaters were caught by surprise when he used a spell to knock them off their feet, he used a Patronus too to chase off the Dementors, he freed me. His wife went to grab a wand and S-someone killed her, Varanian went to her anyway and was overpowered again. That's when they decided to leave but wanted him to die a painful death, they left him there to burn but the Dementors were still gone and I was angry at the one who killed his wife, we were arguing and magic happened, knocked them all out. I could still hear Varanian screaming so I ran back to save him, he was really badly burned but alive and I got him out of the fire. He was babbling about a hospital, I think he was in too much pain to make coherent sentences so I brought him to St Mungo's and they were seeing to him.

"The healers were nice to me and one asked me what happened so I was telling him about Death Eaters attacking Varanian when he noticed the Dark Mark that my mother had given me, they weren't nice then, then everyone was attacking me and screaming I was evil. I was upset and freaked out, my magic defended me without my control and knocked a few people out before I got away. I went back to Varanian's house and put my arm into the flames to burn off the symbol as I best I could, I vowed then that I'd never be who my parents wanted to me, I'd never be like them no matter what happened. Then I just sat there nursing my injured arm and waiting for the others to wake up, they weren't pleased of course but I didn't tell them I'd saved Varanian in case they went back and killed him in St Mungo's.

"And that's how I met Varanian. When he started working at Hogwarts he recognized me, he was always a little annoyed I wouldn't tell him the names of the Death Eaters responsible but he never told anyone about what he knew of my past or threatened to. He never really got along well with the other teachers - not that he ever tried to - and was practically always at war with Minerva over something, was always good to me though, one of those people whose okay if you get to know them. Until this year anyway, now he's just completely out of his mind and is apparently afraid of me and hates me, I don't know what I did to make him hate me or be afraid of me... But all that's besides the point although I hope your curiosity is satisfied."

Scorpius felt his cheeks go pink but Calderon's story had distracted him from his panic, Calderon gave him a small kind smile and suggested they carry out his detention then. Scorpius was grateful, he felt a bit better after going around with Calderon as Marvin sunk back out of his mind as did the strange fire he'd caused. Doing something normal made him feel more normal, he wanted so badly to be normal.

The week turned out to be horrible despite the beautiful sunny weather, no one could enjoy it with the stress of preparing for exams in the following week - they started on Calderon's birthday, which Scorpius hoped was a sign of good luck. Scorpius still remained unfazed by them but he still didn't have a good week, people thought he was even more of a psycho freak than usual after the boggart incident - although Scorpius was grateful they hadn't figured out why, just like Calderon had assured him they wouldn't - but James took every opportunity to tease him relentlessly for being afraid of muggles. Scorpius had no idea what to say to that.

Calderon wasn't having a good time of things either, since the boggart incident Varanian had seemed determined to work his assistant to death. Calderon claimed he could count on his fingers the number of hours of sleep he'd had that week, he looked tired to the bone and was using magic even more than usual just to keep himself awake. That and Professor Hagrid had started finding homes for the puppies. Still, Scorpius thought Varanian was being unnecessarily cruel, it wasn't Calderon's fault that Varanian was scared of him.

Michael wasn't having a good week either, Varanian had started giving him detentions every day after class for setting the boggart on him. Michael steadfastly refused to talk about what actually happened in the detentions but always looked shaken and upset after, Scorpius had stopped trying to figure it out when Michael had asked him to respect his privacy just like how he'd never asked Scorpius about the boggart or a load of other things, he said Scorpius was better of not knowing. It turned the tables, being kept in the dark was driving him crazy and he'd realized that must be how Michael and the others had felt about him keeping secrets. He was worried about his friend, at first he'd thought it was the wards again but he took Michael back to his office not outside. Michael was also frantic about the exams - his stepdad had apparently threatened at the start of the year to not let him return for a second year if he did badly in exams - so they spent every spare second squeezing studying time in.

Molly also wasn't having a good week, she was afraid of disappointing her dead mother by doing badly on her exams and missing so many weeks of school hadn't helped her stress any. Apparently she'd been gone so long as her father had wanted her to stay until after the funeral, the funeral having taken so long to arrange because the Ministry had been studying the dead to make sure they were safe. The funeral had been a disaster anyway by all accounts, the long-lost brother Roman had showed up for his sister's funeral and it hadn't gone down well, he and Percy had actually come to blows and the older man had been left with a broken nose and four teeth less while Roman had left with barely a black eye after bringing Rivers, Molly's grandmother - who was also named Molly - and little Lucy to tears.

Calderon had been trying to give him less to do so he'd have time to study and Varanian had ended Michael's detentions on Friday. Scorpius was feeling guilty though, he'd meant to get Calderon a gift for his birthday over the Easter holidays but it had slipped his mind with his friends losing their memories and now he'd nothing to give him. It was also his father's birthday the day before Calderon's and he'd forgotten to get him a gift too, Scorpius was extremely frustrated with himself. On his father's birthday, Calderon told him his detention was to help the house-elves with one meal of his choosing, the rest of the day was his own time and Scorpius had chosen dinner so he spend the day studying with Michael. Until Abby walked over to them.

"What is this?" Abby demanded and dumped a framed photograph of the five of them after the pillow fight, "are you really so desperate to have more friends that you fake a photograph and hide it amongst my things?"

"Err..." Scorpius and Michael said in unison and exchanged glances.

"Yep," Michael said immediately.

"Absolutely," Scorpius added.

"We're that desperate."

"Completely desperate."

"Yep."

"Is that really it? Its what Albus and Rose said when I showed them," Abby said and bit her lip nervously, "but... I know this sounds crazy but when I look at the picture I get this overpowering feeling of deja vu, like... its the edge of my memory but I just... can't."

"So what? You think we used to be friends and then you suddenly forgot? Random, much?"

"I... I don't know. I just... I don't know and my dad's been asking me a lot if everything's okay with me and my friends but me and Albus and Rose get along great, we always have."

"And you think Albus and Rose would ever have been friends with a_ Malfoy?_" Scorpius told her with a forced laugh, "and then you three just forgot? Or what did some random person come along and erase your memories of us being friends? A little far-fetched don't you think? Why would anyone do that?"

"I... I don't know," Abby muttered as her cheeks went crimson, "sorry to bother you."

"Do you think we did the right thing?" Michael wondered quietly after she was gone, "I felt horrible."

"So did I but it would be worse if we'd told her the truth in case she didn't believe us, she might have told people and the word would get out and it might provoke Varanian to do something evil and insane again," Scorpius told him with a sigh, "especially if the teachers found out, her dad would know its true because he knows we used to be friends and then he confronts Varanian and Varanian kills him and we just cost her friend her dad."

"I guess you're right, it still sucks though."

They went back to their studies and just tried not to think about it although it was something else to worry about, Scorpius bade goodbye to Michael when it was time for his detention and went to go help the house-elves. They were in better spirits and he just set to work with helping them, they actually cheered him up a bit for awhile. Until Varanian joined them in the kitchens, Scorpius' eyes bulged in shock that was mirrored by Varanian.

"What are you doing here?!" Varanian snapped as the currently brunette headmaster recovered himself.

"My detention," Scorpius pointed out irritably, "what are you doing here?"

"Its none of your business, now get out of here! Your detention's finished for the day," Varananian told him angrily but Scorpius didn't move, confused as to why he was there, "I'm not feeling well, okay? I have a special request for food and I'd rather not everyone know. So beat it."

Scorpius wasn't sure he believed him, not that he could think of a logical reason why Varanian would really be in the kitchens anyway so he left. Although he supposed it was possible that Varanian was telling the truth, he did have his strange headaches and seizures and health problems - he had mental health problems too but Scorpius didn't see those as a reason to be in the kitchens - but he still thought it was odd as he went to meet up with Michael for dinner, his friend still practicing spells even at the dinner table. Varanian was gray-haired by the time he arrived for the meal, an exhausted looking Calderon being force to stand beside starving again by an unusually full staff table as even Professor Trelawny had joined the Great Hall that night.

"I have a bad feeling," Molly whispered to herself from nearby as she scowled, Scorpius agreed.

* * *

_Pretend you're feeling ill and excuse yourself_

Lucius nearly jumped out of his skin at Brutus' sudden voice in his mind, he'd been mid-sentence as he chatted to his son on Draco's thirty-eighth birthday. The family were seated around the dinner table with the best china being used for the day at Astoria's instance in trying to make it special for her husband. A second ago he'd been almost-happy and headache free but Lucius mood was soured in an instant, they were all looking at him with puzzled expressions.

"I'm sorry," Lucius apologized without having to put on an act for feeling remorseful, "I'm not feeling well, my head is really. I must go to lie down. I'm sorry, Draco, I was trying to not let it get to me on your birthday but I really can't."

"Why don't you please see a healer about it, Father?" Draco sighed looking anxious, "please, its my birthday wish you see someone about it. We hate seeing you in pain."

"No, there's nothing the healers could do," Lucius pointed out - not for the first time - and his family looked disheartened, "alright, I'll tell you what. If I still have it tomorrow then I'll see someone even though they won't be able to do anything, I promise."

"Thank you," Draco said gratefully and Narcissa looked relieved as he stood up to go, Narcissa took his hand and squeezed it gently and he planted a goodbye kiss on her forehead before leaving. He paused in the exit for a moment to look back to Draco.

"And Happy Birthday, son," Lucius offered before exiting the room and returning to his study where Brutus was waiting for him, "how's your brother?"

"Alive, he's through the worst of it so hopefully he'll be okay. Thank you," Brutus told him and Lucius was actually glad to hear this, the man had saved Scorpius' life after all, Brutus held out his hand and smiled, "come on, this is where the fun begins."

Lucius thought that was rather unsettling as he took the Soul Eater's hand and was taken to a small warm wood-paneled room, there were two people there. Seraph he recognized, the half of his face that wasn't ruined looking incredibly impatient as he drummed his fingers on the table and the other was a younger who was grinning madly, fidgeting where he stood. There was a table in the middle with a green ragged blanket on it, Lucius raised an eyebrow in askance.

"About bloody time Brutus," Seraph snapped immediately and glared at Lucius, "how long does it take to excuse yourself?"

"Oh lay off him, there's plenty of time," Brutus growled as he turned back to Lucius and jerked a thumb at the stranger, "that's Dumas or Duvas-"

"_Duvall_," Seraph corrected him irritably, "Andrew _Duvall_."

"_Duvall_ then," Brutus repeated it in Seraph's high accent with a roll of his eyes that earned him a glare from Seraph, "is accompanying you to the school. The blanket's a portkey, it'll take you there and then the master will give you further instruction. Good luck, Lucius. And don't screw up, _Duvall_."

"The master's coming?" Lucius wondered in surprise and Duvall snickered.

"The master's possessin' you, you moron," Duvall informed him as if he were stupid.

"Just go on already!" Seraph barked, "after I count down from three, both of you grab it. One, two, three!"

Lucius hurriedly grabbed the tatty blanket as did Duvall, the uncomfortable sensation of a hook grabbing him from behind the navel and dragging him followed and then he was standing in the cold. Clutching the threadbare blanket, he and Duvall let go almost in unison and Lucius glanced around as he recognized they were at the base of the Astronomy Tower in Hogwarts. He'd known there was something going down and he'd be involved but he was still anxious, Scorpius was here after all.

"Follow and don't say a word," Lucius heard his voice say to Duvall whose eyes lit up like dull blue lightbulbs as he followed Lucius, his body walking frustratedly against his will.

He thought it was odd there was no one around before it dawned on him that it was around dinner time so the school inhabitants would be in the Great Hall, he feared for what would happen to anyone unfortunate to come across them. Not that he could ask what to do with his body out of his control. He absolutely hated it. The Master didn't tell them where they were going though just walked, into a girl's bathroom?! Lucius heard his voice hiss something and Lucius felt his insides turn to ice, he recognized Parseltongue when he heard it. Maybe there was something to the Master's claims of being related to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, or at least it could be the reason for the insane belief.

Lucius' attention had zoned out and he was only jerked from his thoughts as he realized he was sliding down a grimy pipe, the Master held out his hand and with nonverbal wandless magic made him come to a halt as the pipe ended and to regally stand up. Duvall came crashing out a few seconds later, landing in an awkward heap on the bone-covered ground, he scrambled to his feet quickly though as the Master snapped Lucius' fingers and light glowed around them. They carried on walking until they reached a door with intertwining snakes on it, Lucius heard himself speak the language of the snakes once more and the door opened. Lucius had realized fairly immediately they were going into the legendary Chamber of Secrets when he'd heard Parseltongue but it wasn't quite what he'd expected, decorative snakes yes and creepy oversized statue maybe but there was an obelisk carved with runes that looked extremely out of place. Some of the runes were blood-red but the ones near the top were just carved into the strange stone, he thought it was most odd as he was walked into the shadows off to one side. Lucius felt his lips curl into a smile.

"Now we wait," the Shadow Master said.

* * *

Much wasn't said at dinner, Michael was practicing spells again as he ate and managed to use _Lumos_ very well but couldn't seem to turn it off which made him a target for the teasing of James and his cronies. Scorpius snapped at him to leave Michael alone but it was already too late, people around were also laughing at Michael's failure and Michael just buried his face in his arms in humiliation, muttering under his breath things that Scorpius couldn't make out.

Abruptly the laughter stopped. People were gaping in the direction of the teacher's table, Scorpius looked and saw that half the teachers had passed out and more were in the process of passing out, their heads all crashing down onto the table and their bodies going limp. Calderon seemed to think he was dreaming at first because he pinched himself before looking horrified as he started going around the teachers as if checking for a pulse, they were dropping faster than flies and in seconds Varanian was the only one at the table not unconscious. Scorpius nudged Michael to look. People were whispering in panic and Calderon was talking hurriedly to the headmaster looking anxious. Varanian's hair was jet-black as he smiled.

"It appears," Varanian said loudly - loud enough for the whole hall to hear - as he got to his feet and headed for the exit as he continued speaking, Calderon awkwardly jogging to keep up as lights flickered around him, "that there's been some mix-up in the kitchens or a prank of some kind, Marius and I are going to go talk to the kitchen staff. Everyone remain calm. Head Boy and Girl are in charge until we get back."

Scorpius had an incredibly bad feeling and recalling that Varanian had been in the kitchens earlier especially... had he done something to the teachers? Why would he do that? Scorpius had to warn Calderon and he ran towards the exit, only for the doors to slam closed as the two adults left. The Head Boy was telling him off but Scorpius didn't care as he tried to open the door but it was locked.


	75. I: Dark and Light

_**Thanks to:** Winged-panter1 and Diddleymaz for reviewing!_

* * *

"Have you completely lost your mind?!" the first voice yelled, shattering the silence in the cold chamber, "you'll go to prison for this, you can't come back from poisoning the staff, you can't possibly get away with it but they might go easier on you if you give them the antidote."

"I don't care, Marius!" the second voice boomed as the two speakers entered the chamber, Lucius recognized them as the headmaster and his assistant, "I don't care if I go to jail, I don't care if I get locked up so long as the school is protected!"

"Protection gained from the blood of innocent children and murder isn't worth it!"

"They weren't completely innocent, Potter, Weasley and Longbottom's fathers wouldn't let me be an Auror and Nott's grandfather was a Death Eater! And its not murder, this won't take enough blood to kill you now its already mostly complete."

"What kind of justification is that?!" the assistant spluttered, red lights were ablaze around him as they stopped before the obelisk, Duvall pulled Lucius slightly further back to make them more out of sight, "you can't blame children for the things their parents have done."

"You realize every second you waste standing here arguing with me that its a second closer to the staff's deaths? Its a fairly fast acting poison, there's nothing you can say or do to convince me to give them the antidote, good luck finding out which poison it is or where the antidote is before they run out of life. Just activate the obelisk and I swear I'll save them, I don't want them to die anymore than you do."

"I don't think I trust you anymore."

"Do you think you have a choice?" Varanian sneered and Calderon grudgingly went around to the back of the obelisk and up the steps, the assistant paused at the pedestal and the lights swirled blue.

"Please, Pippy, this is wrong," Calderon pleaded and the currently white haired headmaster snorted dismissively, "you're better than this."

"Just do it or they all die."

The exhausted looking Calderon sighed as Varanian took an object out his robe pocket, Lucius recognized it as the orb he'd helped acquire from Corvinus Ashain. It kept changing color between white, black and gray much like it had for Lucius, except it had only shifted between gray and black for him. Varanian smiled and his assistant appeared devoid of hope as he slammed his right hand down on the pedestal, wincing as he whispered something that Lucius couldn't make out from that distance.

Whatever he'd said or did must have worked because crimson of light started pulsing through the assistant's body and out through his hand, pain crossed Calderon's face as he looked up at the obelisk. The runes started filling up as if blood-colored liquid was being poured into them, the orb floated to the point at the top of the obelisk and turned black as the shadows as it hovered in the air.

"After the second pulse, remember," Lucius heard his voice saying to Duvall, he realized the other man already had his wand out, "or it'll kill the students. And don't cause any permanent injury."

Duvall nodded although Lucius had no idea what it meant, he wasn't sure if he was still being controlled but he found himself of tearing his eyes away from the obelisk as the runes were complete. The thrum of power was deafening and Varanian's scream was lost in it as the headmaster fell to the ground, writhing and clutching his chest while the orb glowed with darkness as if it was sucking in what little light was in the room. Bolts of black energy shot up the length of the obelisk and upon touching the orb a pulse of darkness erupted from it and sped out of sight, Lucius realized his body was laughing against his will as a second pulse of darkness followed a few seconds later.

That seemed to be Duvall's cue as the Soul Eater stepped forwards and yelled a spell lots in the thrum, a burst of crimson light shot from his wand towards the assistant and Calderon was thrown violently back from the pedestal. The thrum died, the darkness vanished and the orb fell from its perch, Duvall aimed his wand at that and the orb slowed its descent and landed gently in his other hand, changing between the three colors once more. Varanian now had shorter, tawny hair as he scrambled to his feet and ran to his assistant.

"Marius! Are you alright?!" Varanian asked suddenly sounding worried as he fell to his knees beside Calderon and gently shook his shoulder, Calderon stirred and Varanian's hair turned as black as his assistant's and all traces of concern left his face, "come on, we need to get you back to my office and get you some blood-replenishing potion just to be on the safe side."

"Get the antidote, save them," Calderon said weakly but still managed to make it sound firm but was ignored as the headmaster helped him to his feet.

Calderon couldn't stand or even hold his head up and Varanian put the assistant's arm round his shoulder to support him. The pair were consumed by darkness and vanished, Duvall offered his hand to Lucius which Lucius took as he found his control had returned, they too were teleported into the headmaster's office. Varanian was drawing a magical wispy waist-high white wall that faded out the higher it was with his wand, he did the left, back and right before unceremoniously throwing Calderon into it and slashing his wand to draw the final line and complete the square with Calderon trapped inside.

Varanian went over to his desk and started grabbing a few things as Calderon fought to get up, best be managed was to sit with his back against the stone wall that was one with the back line. Even that seemed to drain whatever strength as he was breathing heavily from the effort, his head kept lolling as if he was struggling to stay conscious and his eyes fighting to stay open. Varanian stalked back over to them - without seeming the slightest bit surprised to see Lucius and Duvall there - with a vial and two different sized flasks. He tossed the smaller of the flasks into the square beside Calderon.

"There's the blood-replenishing potion, take a few sips every few minutes," Varanian stated dismissively to his assistant before turning back to Lucius and handing him the vial, "take out your memory of what you just saw with the obelisk and orb and put it in the vial for Corvinus, give it to Duvall when you're done and he'll hand it and the orb off to be returned as per your vow."

"What?! How do you know all that?! I don't take orders from you!" Lucius snapped in confusion.

"You're not Varanian, are you?" Calderon whispered from the ground, managing to look up at the trio.

"Not really," Varanian smirked and Lucius stepped back in horror as the headmaster's eyes became solidly black, Brutus' words returned to his mind '_...only downside of that of course is the eyes being noticeably not normal, the puppet has to be a metamorphmagi to be able to hide it..._' Varanian's eyes returned to normal, Calderon looked horrified but Duvall seemed to already be aware of this, "pretty neat trick, don't you think? The joys of controlling a metamorphmagus. I'm actually quite proud of myself, its a lot more difficult to possess someone without them actually realizing they're possessed or letting other people realize it. Having access to their thoughts really helps, everyone may think them mad but as long as you use their own personality flaws to justify it then no one jumps to possession, even Varanian thought he was simply insane until just now or that he'd developed a split personality. You're an idiot. Although congratulations on being a stubborn pain in the head to control. Chop-chop the rest of you, just wait here until we return from saving those teachers after you've done as you've been told."

* * *

Scorpius was chased back to his seat by the Head Boy but he still had a bad feeling, the mood in the hall wasn't much better as people were talking in panic. Abby looked distraught as she stared at her father's slumped unconscious body at the staff table, Rose and Albus were trying to comfort her. Even James had lost his self-satisfied smirk and looked anxious, everyone did. Scorpius had no idea what to do though, everyone thought they'd been locked in for their own safety, he just bit his lip and exchanged worried looks with Michael who he had told about Varanian in the kitchen. It wasn't a prank or a misunderstanding, he _knew_ Varanian had done something. It was too much of a coincidence for the evil headmaster to appear and then for all the teachers except him to suddenly pass out but why would he want them incapacitated?

It had to be something to do with the Blood Runes, it- Scorpius was cut off mid-thought as Michael screamed and clutched at his chest, he fell back off his seat and writhed on the floor. Abby, Albus and Rose all cried out in pain and also hugged themselves protectively where the scars had been, he had a feeling that if he'd looked over at the Slytherin then Nott would be in the same condition. He didn't have time to look as a wave of blackness swept through the hall, extinguishing all light in the room but Michael's still lit wand and carrying out into the night. Scorpius' heartbeat was deafening him, the obelisk had been activated.

Worse than that, Varanian had to have a black soul and on the third pulse everyone but Scorpius - and possibly some of the teachers - would die for being white souls. And there was nothing he could to do stop it. The second wave followed. He was about to be in the center of a massacre. Varanian wasn't protecting the students, he was killing wanted to scream. He squeezed shut his eyes and dug his nails into his head, he couldn't bring himself to watch his friends die, he didn't even want to watch James die. _And its all your fault!_ his mind snapped accusing, _why didn't you do something?! WHY?! _

The third pulse didn't come though. Michael just lay on the ground breathing heavily but alive, everyone was alive but terrified and confused. Scorpius helped Michael to get back into his seat while the Head Girl and Boy were desperately telling everyone to calm down. Scorpius didn't feel calm, Varanian had just destroyed the protection Hogwarts had and replaced it with protection _against_ good. Although he was relieved the headmaster was at least saw sense enough to stop it after the second pulse, it still wasn't good.

"Everyone calm down!" Varanian's voice boomed from the darkness, abruptly the floating candles were once again lit and Scorpius turned along with everyone to see the raven-haired headmaster standing in front of the staff table. The teachers behind him were being swallowed by darkness and vanishing, "don't worry about your precious professors, they are being transported to the hospital wing where I will go momentarily to administer the antidote to the poison I gave them."

"Did... Did he just say he poisoned them?" Abby wondered anxiously, her eyes bulging in horror as were most people's, they were frozen in fear and gaping. Varanian had really lost the plot. Scorpius wondered where Calderon was, was he alright? Varanian had to have blackmailed again but had Calderon survived the obelisk? Had Varanian just left him in the chamber to die?

"Have no fears though, none of you were poisoned. In fact you should all be honored because today you become death, pawns in my war to take my rightful place as ruler of the world but even pawns are important pieces if used in the right way and you can graduate from pawns if you prove valuable enough. I _AM_ THE SHADOW MASTER AND TODAY YOU BECOME SHADOWS!" Varanian yelled as the last professor vanished and threw his arms into the air, laughing a deep deranged laugh as shadows swarmed around him.

Scorpius had not expected that. Varanian disappeared but the shadows only seemed to multiply in number and shot into the Head Boy and Girl who were standing at front of the hall before the staff table, their eyes turned black and they smiled. People started screaming and rushing towards the still locked door as the Shadows started possessing them, older students were shooting spells at the door while younger ones were just hammering uselessly against it. Scorpius was slow to move, Michael and the others were still clutching their chests. Molly leaped onto the table and grabbed Scorpius' wrist, pulling him up onto it with him.

"I dreamed this!" Molly told him in panic, "I dreamed of us being trapped in the Great Hall and everyone trying to get out while the darkness is attacking, you were the only one who could break through the door."

"Me?" Scorpius repeated fearfully, afraid of being a target up on the table but his friends were also joining them and several other students - from other houses too - had started standing on the tables as well to escape the crush.

"You blasted gray light and fire at it, holding your wand in your left hand and the doors were practically blown apart. That's all I remember from it but... consider the Azkaban dream... I think maybe... please just try it. I think you can do it."

"Why me?!"

"I don't know! And I'm sorry to put pressure on an eleven year old but I seriously think that if you can't do it then we're all going to be trapped in here and get possessed," Molly offered looking at him pleading with her beautiful light sky blue eyes, "please, Scor. Do whatever you did to defend me on the train and... and at the memorial, whatever spell it is."

"We're all going to die," Rose wailed unhelpfully and burst into tears.

Scorpius turned towards the door and drew his wand, switching to his left hand and aiming it at the door. His heart was beating so erratically he thought it might shoot out of his chest at any moment, it was difficult to concentrate with the calamity going on around him. He couldn't do it. He was going to fail. He knew it. He mentally slapped himself, since when had being doomed been an excuse to give up?

He summoned all his energy and channeled it into that arm, his scarred wrist started burning but he didn't fight it, whenever it burned things had a habit of catching on fire. He put every ounce of strength into funneling the power into that arm, a ring of fire appeared round the scar on his wrist and he heard Molly squeak excitedly that it had happened in her dream. He blocked her out though, he blocked everything out and focused on the power inside him, letting it build it up. And then he unleashed the power.

A jet of gray light burst from the tip of his wand in an explosion of fire and shot at the doors, they were practically blown apart and splinters showered down on the nearest people. He turned excitedly back to the others, most people were gaping, Michael and Molly were grinning. They didn't even notice the shadows coming from behind, Scorpius opened his mouth to cry out a warning to Michael only for it to shrink back from the light still stuck on the tip of his wand.

"They don't like light!" Molly called out, having followed his gaze and also seen it, she used the wand-lighting charm on her wand before yelling, "EVERYONE USE _LUMOS_! SHADOWS DON'T LIKE LIGHT!"

Scorpius realized you could practically tell who was left un-possessed by whose wand suddenly lit up, the people on the tables were on the only ones left as virtually everyone on the ground now had pitch-black eyes which he supposed had been the obvious targets as the people on tables would have to get past them to get to the door. Guiltily he wondered if he'd focused for less time then would there still be people left? Or would the door not have opened then?

He was feeling drained suddenly, it made him hesitate before jumping into the crowd like some people did to try get to the exit. Instead of simply milling about the possessed students started grabbing the fleeing ones, Lumos may repel them briefly but he saw that if they didn't move then the shadowy forms risked discomfort to go past them and possess them anyway, they had to keep moving. The older students started using dueling spells against the possessed but they were very overwhelmed and not every spell had an effect. Scorpius had an idea, he focused his magic again.

"_Wingardium Leviosa!_" Scorpius cried and swished his wand, only this time he was _trying_ to raise as many people as he could - there wasn't actually a lot of people left unpossessed anyway, they were losing the war - and he jerked his arm, moving them over the crowd of black-eyed students to land them - reasonably - gently in the corridor outside, "RUN!"

Most of the students scrambled to their feet and bolted, Molly however aimed her wand at Scorpius himself. He blanched in surprise as he felt himself lifted into the air, he felt like panicking as he was carried over the possessed students who didn't leave the Great Hall. He noticed her eyes widen in shock though just as Scorpius felt something cold brush against him like ice pressing against his back, it vanished as quickly as it had appeared but she was still gaping as he was let go carefully on the ground in front of her.

"Molly, move!" Rose yelped and shoved her cousin out of the way just in time as a shadow from behind Scorpius jumped into Rose rather than Molly, Rose's eyes immediately became black and she stood idly in the corridor like the others who'd been possessed outside of the Great Hall were doing.

"We have to run, its what she'd want," Michael said, recovering first and giving his friend a pained look before bolting and Abby, Albus, Molly and Scorpius ran after him, waving their wands wildly to put off any of the shadows.

"There's a... passageway here," Scorpius told them between breaths and came to the lead, violently twisting the statue's hand that acted as a key and jumping into the passageway with the others as it slammed shut behind them.

"How did... you do that?" Albus asked of Scorpius as they looked fearfully around the passage, flailing their wands but no shadows seemed to have followed or were already there. Maybe they didn't know about the secret passageways?

"Calderon knows these pass-"

"No! How did you stop the shadow possessing you?" Abby interrupted, "when you were in the air one tried to get in you but it was repelled as soon as it touched you."

"I... what?" Scorpius blinked in surprise and scowled, he hadn't known that, "I have no idea."

* * *

"You'll be glad to know that your beloved teachers are now not-dying," the Shadow Master pointed out and Lucius jumped at the sudden reappearance of Varanian's body, Calderon looked up from the ground - he was a looking a little stronger from the potion but still not healthy, "gave them a sleeping drought as well, thought they could use the rest and stay out of our way while we round up the last students as there was an unforeseen issue. There's only Scorpius and four others unaccounted for now. I thought you and I could talk, Tommy, while we wait and its been so long since we've seen each other after all, since you abandoned me."

"Abandoned you!? How do you figure that, Sal?!" Calderon spluttered looking furious and Lucius blinked in surprise, had the master just addressed him as Tommy? And he'd addressed the master as Sal? "if anyone abandoned anyone, you abandoned me, you just left me with Master and took off with Rabastan."

"Well its not like I could take you with me, you were too unstable. I mean I couldn't risk you exploding things just because you were upset or angry and I didn't want to be around Dementors anymore than you do, although now I've come to realize they have their uses. Besides, you were on that whole 'I don't want to kill people or hurt anyone' kick, world domination didn't seem like something you'd be interested in until you got past that phase. Hmm... I think I'm going to talk to you with Lucius, Varanian's struggling is irritating."

"Much better," Lucius heard his voice say as Varanian walked back over to his desk and sit down, Lucius' eyes flicked back to Calderon and he felt himself smile as he stopped forward, "hello brother."

"Hello sister," Calderon replied.


	76. I: Plans

_**Thanks to:** BloodPixie140, Winged-panther1, Harry-Potter-Magic, Lucifersdaughter, Aya Diefair and Diddleymaz for reviewing!_

_**Author's Note:** Sorry had to split this chapter but next one's almost done and so not a long wait, if I get any reviews I might not even wait until tomorrow to post it_

_**Questions:**  
__**Why must you tease with such amazing cliffhangers?**  
Make it more interesting?  
**Big showdown coming soon?**_  
_Basically yeah_  
**_Calderdon had a sister?_**  
_Yes, the Shadow Master is his sister_  
**_And only Scorpius, Michael, Albus, and Abby didn't get possessed? What about Molly?_**  
_Molly didn't get possessed either thanks to Rose_

* * *

"What do we do?" Albus wailed hopelessly and Scorpius withdrew into his thoughts for an answer, "its only a matter of time before they get us like they got Rose."

"Do you think he killed my dad?" Abby wondered worriedly.

"We can't think like that, we have to stay positive," Michael pointed out firmly.

"Our headmaster's the Shadow Master, he poisoned all the teachers and possessed probably all of the school by now with those Shadows because they don't know the secret passageways but its only a matter of time until they find us too," Albus blurted out, "what in the world is there to be positive about?!"

"We're alive, we can fend them off to a certain extent with the wand-lighting charm and the one person who can banish the Shadows is here. We just need to find Calderon and he can save us."

"Calderon's either in league with Varanian or dead," Abby commented and Scorpius almost snapped at her that Calderon would never help the Shadow Master willingly and had almost certainly only helped in exchange for the other staff to live, that would mean having to explain about the blood runes and he didn't actually want to waste time on that because he didn't know how long they had.

"Merrill's right, we have to think positive, we have to fight this," Molly spoke up determinedly and Michael cringed at the wrong name, "we have to find Calderon or get help or both."

"It's Michael," Michael whispered and Molly's face went as red as her hair as she muttered an apology.

"How do we fight this? Only Malfoy is immune, we're doomed," Albus complained and Molly shot her cousin a dark look while Michael just decided to ignore it.

"Okay so getting help, what ways are there out of the castle?"

"Its not like we could just walk out the front door with those things around."

"What about in the air? Could one of you fly away to get help?"

"The brooms are all locked up in the grounds, we'd never get to them," Molly pointed out as she frowned thoughtfully.

"Mine isn't," Scorpius spoke up and everyone glanced at him for the first time in a while, he knew it wouldn't work though because the second pulse meant the barrier was still in place, "its in Professor Ashain's office, that's easier to get to."

"Yes, excellent," Michael nodded to him smiling brightly, "and then there's the floo thing in Varanian's office."

"He's probably changed his password though."

"I've had detentions with him in his office all week, remember? His password is 'blood runes'. That shouldn't be too hard to get to either. See we're down but not out, when you hit rock bottom the only way left to go is back up."

"Or you could die there," Albus said glumly but Abby seemed more hopeful.

"We should check the hospital wing first, see if he was telling the truth about the teachers," Abby pointed out, "if he did give them the antidote then my dad and the others will fight back too."

"Has everyone forgotten about the Shadows everywhere?"

"The invisibility cloak! We can use that," Michael exclaimed snapping his fingers triumphantly and Albus' face twisted into a cruel anger that made him look like James.

"I know you stole it, you thief!"

"He didn't steal it," Scorpius snapped defensively, "you gave it to me. We lied to you, Abby, we were friends and Varanian erased your memories. That time Varanian awarded you and Rose points each was really just a cover because he'd erased your memories and Albus, that time you were randomly in a room crying with him because he'd just erased your memories and you didn't want him to. We don't have time to go into details but you made me promise to keep the cloak until you got your memories back or we stopped Varanian from the evil stuff he was doing, evil stuff was why you were in pain in the hall but we don't have time to go into that either. Since the Shadows can't possess me, I'll get the cloak and bring it here with any luck it'll go better than last time."

"You just want us to sit and wait?" Abby wondered, everyone but Michael gaping at him in shock.

"I'll fill you in about the stuff he was talking about to pass the time?" Michael offered and the others reluctantly nodded.

"I'll be back as soon as I can," Scorpius promised and darted away before anyone could protest.

* * *

"Why are you doing this, Sal?" Calderon - _Tommy,_ Lucius mentally corrected himself - asked miserably of him, still reeling from the information that his grandson's hero was related to the Shadow Master and... and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named? He was sure he'd heard the name 'Sal' mentioned before too. At least Duvall wasn't back yet, it meant Scorpius was still uncaught.

"Why?" Lucius heard his voice sneer, "its _our_ destiny, we're Lord Voldemort's children, we're the last descendants of the Salazar Slytherin himself, not to mention the Noble House of Black. Greatness is in our blood, _power_ is in our blood. Its our birthright to rule the world, Mother always said we were destined for greatness."

"We were destined to be Horcruxes and Father didn't even consider us good enough for that."

"One of Father's greatest mistakes was not realizing how important we were, so what we can't do magic like normal witches and wizards. We're_ better_ than them. Look at what you can do when I push you, the light tracks, banishing all those Specters, healing those people although that one was unintentional. Wands are constricting, isn't that what you used to say when they started exploding on you? And you were right, they just can't handle our power because only weak witches and wizards surround us."

"They can't handle our power because we can't regulate it safely."

"That's all stupid, before wizards and witches weakened themselves by creating wands and scepters and things to channel their magic, they used it like we do. That's how magic is supposed to be used, people were so much more powerful in the past like us they could just use magic by will without needing a channel, they had epic duels and created the most powerful things, ever notice how ancient magic is the most powerful? Wizardkind have been diluting their power with muggle blood and diminishing it with wands and the like for millennia, our upbringing may have been awful but it unwittingly made us into the most powerful beings in the world, the most powerful beings the world has ever seen."

"And I thought I was the insane one."

"You are, otherwise you would see how foolish you're being," the Shadow Master pointed out and Lucius felt his body stiffen with anger, "defending these people, those professors you were willing to risk your life to save. And for what? They don't give a damn about you, do you think any of them would stand beside you if they knew who you were? If they knew your name was Tom Riddle III then they would turn on you like rabid dogs, any good you've ever done wouldn't matter, everything you've ever done for them wouldn't matter. If they knew you were Voldemort's son then everyone would turn against you, that's all that would care about."

"I know," Tommy whispered tearfully.

"Then why defend them? You can change your name but you can't change who you are, they'll never accept you and you shouldn't have to pretend to be someone you're not."

"My parentage doesn't change who I am. We are who we choose to be and we write our own destinies, I choose to be Marius Calderon and I don't want power or greatness," Tommy said firmly and determinedly, "I just want to be a good person, helping people is a much better feeling than destroying them."

"I am helping people," the Shadow Master spat irritably, "the world's a terrible dark place, I'm going to make it better, everything will be better when we rule."

"How many people have you killed? How many lives have you destroyed? And that's only what you've done so far, how can you possibly think that is worth whatever delusional beliefs you have after making the world a better place?" Tommy demanded before softening his tone slightly, "this is wrong, Sal, you have to stop this."

* * *

It was eerily dark in Hogwarts, the pulse had knocked out not just the candles in the Great Hall but everywhere - the automatically lighting torches had also stopped working - and he kept his wand lit to see more so than to defend himself. He passed people occasionally, possessed students who were just standing there aimlessly, their heads would watch him walk by but they wouldn't speak - even if he spoke to them - or move or react beyond silently following him with their pitch-black eyes and blank faces. He passed the Shadows too, the were gliding around and he realized that they were what he had seen by Dumbledore's tomb at the start of term. Some would move towards him then stop as if recognizing they couldn't touch him, others would actually try to and he would feel a cold sensation but they would always back off or be repelled or whatever made him immune. He still wasn't sure why.

He retrieved the cloak from the dormitory easily and headed back, still trying to formulate a plan that didn't suck. Abby, Albus, Michael and Molly were all white souls so they wouldn't be able to leave by broomstick or by Floo powder anyway nor would the help retrieved be able to get inside unless they were black souls, which meant they wouldn't be helping them. They had to reactivate the obelisk, the first pulse was all they needed to vaporize the previous dark invisible shield so help could get to them and they could get to it. To do that they needed the orb and Calderon as none of them spoke Parseltongue, they were pretty much screwed to hell if Calderon was dead. He hoped Varanian would have left him in the hospital wing with the other staff, assuming he'd survived he would be drained and weak and with any luck Varanian would want him alive in case he ever needed to get to the obelisk or use the Chamber of Secrets again. Not that he was sure what Varanian wanted now he knew the headmaster was the Shadow Master. That had shocked him, he knew Varanian was at best insane and at worse psychotically evil but he hadn't realized Varanian was leading the Shadows.

He returned to find the others still there and immediately threw the cloak over the four of them - Molly had to crouch, just telling them to follow him as the Shadows were paying less attention to him by that point. They also agreed not to speak in case the Shadows could hear, Scorpius wasn't sure if they had senses but they didn't notice his friends and they were everywhere now, like a fungus creeping up the walls and floor in eerie silence. The ghosts were nowhere to be seen and the portraits were hiding, scared of the dark creatures. It was actually hard to tell what was a Shadow and what was just a shadow in places. Scorpius was worried they weren't actually there until they got to the hospital wing and Molly slipped out from under the cloak to stand beside him, every staff member - except Varanian and Calderon - were there, unconscious and tied to the beds or just tied up on the floor - Professor Hagrid was chained - with their wands stacked in a pile that was visible in the Nurse's Office as was a bubbling cauldron. He saw a hand peek out from nowhere to open the door, they didn't close it behind them if they left or entered.

"They're alive," Michael's voice spoke from somewhere after a few minutes of he and Molly checking the staff to make sure they were breathing, "healthy pulse, healthy appearance, no obvious signs of any poison symptoms that I can see. Except for the unconsciousness obviously."

"The potion in the office is a Sleeping Drought," Albus' voice also came from nowhere, "I think Varanian was telling the truth, its mostly gone so I think he used it on them."

"Plus why bother tying them up if they were dying?" Abby's voice came from nowhere too, both her and Albus sounding calmer and be more optimistic.

"We should stay here," Michael's voice pointed out, "keep an eye on them to make sure they're okay, if anything changes I might be able to figure out what the poison is - there's medical textbooks in Madam Pomfrey's office anyway - and Albus is good with potions, Abby good with herbs and ingredients so we might actually be able to deal with the poison ourselves if it comes to that."

"Or with any luck just wait for them to wake up, tell them what happened and have them force Varanian to call off the Shadows. The Shadows might try possess them too I guess but its the best we have and anything's better than nothing, right?"

"Glad to see you - or rather hear you - thinking more positive," Molly said brightly with a weak smile before becoming serious again, "if you stay here and do that, also untying them would be good, then we'll try get help. And stay under the cloak in case Shadows come."

"You're not immune, Molly," Scorpius pointed out firmly, "its too dangerous, they'll swamp you."

"What part of this situation _isn't_ dangerous?" Molly asked him putting her hands on her hips and a stubborn expression on her face, "I'm not letting you go alone, we're in this together. We could waste time arguing or we could just go get the broom. Your choice."

"Erm..." Scorpius muttered and for some reason his mind thought that was the perfect time to remind him of his crush on her, he mentally slapped himself again, "get the broom."

* * *

"Sacrifice is necessary!" the Shadow Master snapped through Lucius' voice, "besides, if everyone wasn't so pathetic and weak then they'd fight back. Seriously, I have yet to lose, this is so _easy._"

"Probably a good thing because you're a sore loser," Tommy pointed out grumpily.

"I am not!"

"Are too."

"Are not."

"Are too."

"Are not, _Tom_."

"Are too, _Salazia_."

"Don't call me Salazia, you know I hate that," the Shadow Master complained and Lucius felt himself pouting.

"Then don't call me Tom, you know I hate that," Tommy retorted folding his arms childishly and Lucius felt his lips smile but he didn't feel like smiling.

"I missed this."

"Petty arguments?"

"You in general, even though your morality is tedious, little brother. Didn't you miss me?"

"You're only five minutes older," Tommy pointed out before looking thoughtful, "I do miss _you_ but I don't miss what you've become. You've become everything we despised about the Death Eaters, about the Master, you're almost as evil as them."

"I'm not evil," the Shadow Master snapped and Lucius' face lost its smile, "you're the one who killed Rodolphus, not me and I'm the Master now because you're either the Master or you're the wretches beneath him or her. Do you enjoy being treated like dirt or something? But then you always were treated better than me, everyone cared about making you do magic and I was just an afterthought, I was always in your shadow just because my name wasn't Tom Riddle, I didn't get the Dark Mark, Father barely looked me in the eye. And you know I actually did better than you, those times you were dragged off for training and Brutus was left to guard me, Brutus was a far better teacher and I actually managed some spells_. _Not that anyone cared about _my_ progress, of course. But I'll show them, I'll show everyone that they were wrong to ignore me, that I am great and powerful and I deserve to be respected. People should pay more attention to the shadows. I'm not evil, I'm fighting the evil in the world because the world is a terrible place and I'm going to make it better for everyone."

"Those who fight monsters should be careful not to let themselves become the monster," Tommy said quietly looking serious, "as when you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes back into you."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Its a quote, it means that if you're not careful you can become the thing you're fighting although I think you've already lost that war but using the Shadows the way you are... its not healthy. The more you use them the more they use you, eventually you won't be the Master of the Shadows, the Shadows will be the Master of you and you won't even realize it until its too late."

"Nonsense, I know more about the Shadows than anyone including you and I control them completely. And I call them Specters now. And aren't you even the slightest bit impressed?"

* * *

He had a feeling Molly might not have been so determined if she'd known what it would be like outside, Scorpius had gotten use to the Shadows moving slowly and not threatening him but they swarmed at Molly. They didn't dare stop moving, failing their arms in a mad dash and Scorpius considered it may not have been the best plan. As long as they kept running they were alright.

"Do you want to say it?" Molly called as they pelted up the staircase.

"Say what?" Scorpius wondered breathlessly.

"I told you so!"

"No, I'm good! Don't suppose you had any dreams of us surviving this?"

"Unfortunately no but I'm too busy winging it to worry about that!"

"Just run up and down the classroom while I get the_ Dart_!" Scorpius told her as they made it into the room, Molly simply nodded and started running while he rushed to get the broom, if anyone looked in they would have thought she'd lost her mind, "got it!"

"Good!" Molly panted as he tossed her the broom and they ran back out of the classroom, "just need to get to a window and we can fly get help!"

"There's something I have to tell you about that... the Blood Runes have been activated and there's a barrier in place so you can't get out."

"You're just telling me this now?!"

"I think you'll be able to dodge them better in the sky! Besides, I'm going to try find Calderon because if we can reverse it then you can fly out. Wait for a flash of light and then go straight to the Ministry and tell them everything you-"

Scorpius was cut off as a jet of red light shot towards them, it missed his head by a thread and instead sailed by and straight into Molly. She was thrown back and landed unmoving on the ground, he fell to his knees beside her in panic and saw she was breathing but not conscious. She looked like she was sleeping. He jumped back up and saw a stranger stepping out from the shadows, smirking with a serious overbite as he kept his wand trained on Scorpius.

"You would be Scorpius Malfoy, I'm presumin'?" the man said as he walked over to them.

"What did you do to her?!" Scorpius snapped angrily, fury raging through him over Molly being attacked.

"Pretty little thing, ain't she?" the man commented as he looked down at Molly and Scorpius felt his wrist start to burn, "just knocked her out, the master don't want harm to befall the newest additions to the army, the new pawns. C'mon, I have to take you to the master. We can do this the easy way or the hard way, either give me your wand and c'mon or I'll take it by force and punish you for wasting my time. You're s'posed to be smart, kid, which do you think is best?"

Scorpius hesitated for a moment, he didn't really want to go with the stranger to Varanian and he certainly didn't want to give up his wand. But since Calderon wasn't in the hospital wing, he was probably either still in the Chamber of Secrets or with Varanian. Varanian probably had the orb anyway. He needed both the orb and Calderon if they were to undo the dark barrier sealing them in and everyone else out, he just hoped Calderon was okay. Reluctantly Scorpius handed the man his wand.

"Atta boy," the man congratulated him as he snatched it, his wild eyes burning with delight as he gestured for Scorpius to walk and kept his wand on him, "just need to get back to the headmaster's office. And keep an eye out for any unpossessed."

"So who are you?" Scorpius wondered and was rewarded by a slap.

"No questions," the man snarled as he motioned for Scorpius to carry on walking, "and the name's Duvall."

* * *

"Impressed by what?" Tommy questioned scowling again.

"I _destroyed_ Azkaban," the Shadow Master - _Sal,_ Lucius decided it made her seem less powerful and he was feeling completely powerless with his body out of his control - continued through Lucius' voice, "we always fantasized about wiping off that hellhole off the map and I actually did it, when I'm the ruler of the world I'm going to build a monument in the place were it used to stand to honor our birth but I love that its gone."

"I'll admit I'm not sorry Azkaban's gone but I don't agree with what you did, what about the people you killed? Or recruited?"

"Killing two birds with one stone is a much better use of time," Sal pointed out and Lucius felt his mouth smirk, "you see I have a formidable army of Specters but I'm rather lacking in actual people on my side, trying to recruit in secret means there's not actually as many recruited as I would like, for a lot of it I just possess random people and have them do the killing then kill them and they just seem like one of the dead. Now though, I have an experienced army that I took from Azkaban, I'm going to use Fenrir Grayback to get myself an army of werewolves and as of tonight I have an army of children."

"What?" Tommy wondered suddenly looking horrified and Lucius heard himself laugh a deep depraved laugh.

"Why do you think I went after a school tonight? The blood runes destroyed the magic protecting the school from letting Specters move freely, while we've talking I've been possessing them. Perfect isn't it? People don't want to hurt children, especially their own. Specters can tap into the children's magic though and attack, regardless of the child's willingness. What do you think will happen if I launch an attack on the Ministry with children? Think Harry Potter would murder his own sons, nieces and nephews and other innocents or would he surrender and submit to my will? I'm going to test the reaction on those staff I so kindly saved, there's only three kids left, Longbottom has two daughters and a son in the school especially so his reaction will be the most interesting."

"You can't use them like that! They're just children!"

"So?" Sal sneered, "being 'just children' didn't protect us, what makes everyone else so special? Why shouldn't I use the resources at my disposal just because they're young? Its all worth it for the new world, those who survive to see it will thank me."

"I won't let you," Tommy growled threateningly as his eyes became flinty, Lucius felt a faint flicker of fear from the Shadow Master, "leave this castle, leave the students alone or I swear I will stop you."

"In case you hadn't noticed, its too late," Sal snapped before smirking arrogantly, "I've already won. You think you can banish over a thousand Specters at once? Especially not right now, you're weak and exhausted and not invincible. They'll just keep coming back. And thanks to the blood runes the students can't actually get past the wardstones unless they're possessed so they're trapped assuming you could banish them, the orb has already been returned so you couldn't attempt to reverse it even if you tried. Oh and since you're apparently not paying much attention, you're trapped by a magical wall! Dementors are already on their way to bring you here, I don't want to hurt you Tommy but I will if I have to because you'll join me one way or the other."


	77. I: Sacrifice

_**To Diddleymaz:** dark chapter warning_

_**Thanks to:** Winged-panter1 and Harry-Potter-Magic for reviewing!_

* * *

"Never!" Tommy cried angrily, "I'd rather die, I'd rather die doing something good than live doing something evil. You're my sister and I love you but I'm not going to help you hurt people."

"Doesn't it bother you that no one's ever told you they love you? You're unloved, unvalued, unwanted and no one gives a damn about you. That would change if you joined me, you can't say people caring about you is a bad thing, you'd be loved and respected and worshiped just like you deserve to be for your power, for your blood. Stop thinking about the causalities and focusing on the bad, think about what's best for you. You could help a lot more people as a ruler of the world then as an assistant."

"I said no, Sal," Tommy said looking both sad and determined before they were all distracted by a yelp of pain from Varanian, the headmaster was at his desk still, too far away to hear their conversation and clutching his head, "what are you doing to him?!"

"He's fighting for control, not my fault the idiot hasn't realized that causes him pain," Sal pointed out dismissively but Tommy took a few seconds longer before looking back.

"Does he know?"

"Know what?"

"That you're the one who murdered his wife and lit him on fire," Tommy snapped and the sound of the spiral staircase moving could be heard.

"No, of course not," Sal chuckled and glanced at the door, Lucius was horrified to see Scorpius was being led in with Duvall, "ah, I see you found young Scorpius."

"Grandfather?" Scorpius wondered looking at him with an expression of horror.

"That's not your grandfather anymore," Tommy pointed out and Scorpius' eyes betrayed relief to see the assistant, Lucius couldn't help but cringe inwardly, Scorpius didn't know who 'Calderon' was, "he's possessed by the Shadow Master."

"Kneel before your master," Duvall sneered and shoved Scorpius onto the ground to make him kneel, Lucius wished his arm would obey him and curse Duvall into the middle of next week for that.

"Be nice, Duvall," Sal cooed and Lucius felt his mouth smile as Scorpius, "Scorpius is going to join us after all."

"No I'm not," Scorpius snapped determinedly as he got to his feet and glared defiantly back at Lucius.

"Don't be like that, its in your best interests. You're a powerful wizard, Scorpius, smart too and have already proved yourself capable of taking a life if necessary. You'd do well to join me, I'll teach you to be useful, strong and powerful beyond you're wildest dreams. People would respect you and fear you, you'd never be looked down on again, you could be great."

"No," Scorpius said quietly, "I just want to be normal."

"Why be normal when you can be special?" Sal wondered but Scorpius didn't budge, "your grandfather thought it was a good idea, he joined us, he's been helping us. Don't you want to be like your family?"

"You're more than the blood you carry, you can't let yourself be defined by your family and their beliefs. You have to make up your mind and be who you choose to be not who you're born to be, I don't care that my grandfather joined you and that he helped you," Scorpius retorted finding his voice and sounding more confident with every word, "I'm not going to hurt innocent people and kill them, no matter what you offer me."

"Then you'll die because I can't possess a gray soul against their will, either submit or I kill you," Sal pointed out darkly and Lucius felt both terrified for Scorpius' life and proud at the same time, he met Tommy's eyes who was looking at him as if desperate for him to do something.

"I'd rather die doing something good then live doing something evil," Scorpius told the Shadow Master defiantly despite the flicker of fear in his eyes, "being possessed is basically being a prisoner again anyway and that's no kind of life."

With a sinking feeling, Lucius realized his grandson was right, he was basically a prisoner and that wasn't much of a life. He couldn't sleep at night, his headaches were slowly killing him and he was wracked with frustration and guilt every second of the day for being incapable of doing anything he wanted. Here he'd just help turn a thousand innocent children into an army, he regretted Draco getting caught up in the Second Wizarding War and he wouldn't wish that on any child, especially Scorpius.

"I really was hoping I wouldn't have to do this," the Shadow Master sighed lazily and drew Lucius' wand, "final chance."

"NO!" Tommy screamed and Scorpius' eyes widened fearfully but stood his ground.

"No," Scorpius said for a final time.

It was too late for Lucius but just maybe he could save his grandson and do something good, no matter what the cost. He thought back to what Brutus had said, you needed to fight the Specter not the master. Light blasted against the barrier trapping Tommy but the magic couldn't get beyond it, Lucius hoped he was making the right choice trusting the son of someone so evil to protect Scorpius but he didn't have much of a choice and he knew the Shadow Master feared her brother.

Lucius was more terrified than he'd ever been in his life as he sank into his mind and focused all his mental energy into reaching out to get his body back, he found the chilling sensation he'd had before of being dipped in icy water. Only that time he didn't fight it. It had to be the Specter. He let it overwhelm him, feeling it more like a cloak that happened to be so cold it send chills into his soul and then he flung it off violently with every shred ounce of strength he had.

He knew it had worked when he staggered forward, his vision was his own again and as he tore his eyes away from his fearful grandson and back to Tommy, Lucius was even more sure. He could feel the Specter already fighting back, he felt as though jagged claws had gripped his head and were digging in and dragging them through his mind. It hurt so much he wanted to scream and cry but he knew he hadn't time, he pushed through it to focus enough to blast a counter-curse at the barrier sealing Tommy in. Tommy immediately made a move to help him, raising his bloodied hand and light blasted through it.

But Lucius knew it was already too late, in the seconds it had taken for his spell to free him was all the Specter needed, the pain was on a level that Lucius couldn't describe and he tried to picture his family's faces one last time. His beliefs, his morals, his fears, his desires, his thoughts, his hopes, his dreams, his regrets, his victories, his mistakes, his memories, everything that made him who he was ripped away as his soul was torn to shreds until there was nothing left. The very last thing Lucius Malfoy ever felt, ever thought and ever knew, was that he loved his family.

* * *

Scorpius didn't understand what was happening, one second he'd been desperately trying to light something on fire to save his life after defying the Shadow Master as his own grandfather raised his wand to kill him, he still found it hard to believe his grandfather had been working with the Shadows the whole time. The next second his grandfather was staggering forward, his eyes back to the gray that Scorpius shared with him, tears streaming from them as he shot a nonverbal spell at Calderon.

The wall vanished and his grandfather seemed to be having a seizure, crumpling to the ground and jerking at impossible angles as Calderon raised his hand and light burst out, there was an inhuman howl of pain and a shadow left his grandfather. Then his grandfather was just lying on the ground staring sightless up at nothing, Scorpius thought he screamed 'no' but he was too stunned to really notice, had he just watched his grandfather die? What had just happened?

Calderon looked determined was getting to his feet and holding his arms out either side of him, light exploded from both hands with one heading towards Varanian and the other to Duvall. Duvall's wild eyes bulged with fear as he'd raised his wand on the newly freed Calderon, whatever red spell that sped towards the assistant was obliterated by the blast of light that continued on and knocked Duvall off his feet, his eyes closed as if unconscious or dead. Varanian was sitting at his desk apart from it all, clutching his head which Scorpius thought was strange since he'd supposedly been controlling his grandfather but was knocked off the chair from the light, Calderon headed over to him with light still blazing from his palm. Scorpius grabbed his wand quickly from Duvall's other hand, seeing the man was in fact still alive before going to his grandfather.

"Grandfather?" Scorpius questioned fearfully but a second later Calderon was pulling him to his feet.

"I'm sorry, Scor, we have to get moving," Calderon offered apologetically trying to urge him towards the door, Scorpius almost went before he realized Varanian was with him, his tawny hair looked scruffier than usual and his burns were visible, he glared at the tired-looking man, "long story short: he was possessed but not anymore, we need to move."

Scorpius was dying to open his mouth to demand a better explanation but the urgency in Calderon's voice drove him towards the spiral staircase he'd just came from, the Shadows were swarming again just like with Molly only this time seemed after Varanian. Calderon kept his hand out and a shield of intense light repelled them from the headmaster as they ran, the Shadows were everywhere.

"Where are we going?" Varanian asked while they ran.

"Not a clue," Calderon replied, "its easier to fight them off if we keep moving."

"We can't leave, we have to save the students."

"We can't leave anyway because of the blood runes, or at least only me and Calderon might be able to depending on what the Shadow Master wanted," Scorpius added as Calderon came to a halt in the middle of the corridor, raising both hands to increase the intensity of the light shield to protect Varanian from the onslaught of Shadows, "does that mean you're really not the Shadow Master then?"

"He's really not the Shadow Master," Calderon informed him firmly, he looked drained from the effort of keeping the shield up, "do you have the orb, Pippy? As long as I can keep the Shadows away from you then your soul should still be white and we can use the blood runes to actually destroy the Shadows, it'll leave the students unharmed but cripple the Shadow Master's army."

"No," Varanian admitted looking miserable, "that Duvas guy took it and Lucius' memory back to... wherever. We have no orb. Any chance you can banish them?"

"I don't know, maybe but I don't think I'd survive it and they'd just come back because the students are still trapped here."

"I... I have an orb," Scorpius spoke up uncertainly and the two adults looked down ta him in surprise, "I took the first one to stop you from trying to kill Calderon again... Professor Ashain found it though after it was influencing me, he bound it to himself to severe the bond and hid it in his office. Its still there, I know where it is."

"Well done," Varanian congratulated him looking cautiously hopeful.

"Come on then, we have to hurry," Calderon pointed out and started running again.

Scorpius was still trying to digest all the information as they ran, pushing himself to run harder than he'd ever ran before and felt a twinge of sadness a possessed Molly who shied away from Calderon's light just like the other possessed students they passed. He hoped the other three were still alright, the teachers were their last hope if this didn't work. They were panting as they reached the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom and Scorpius took over the two adults as they slowed, bolting for the office door with his wand out.

"_Alohomora_," Scorpius cast the spell and felt a pang of guilt for breaking into his favorite professor's office but it was an emergency and he thought Professor Ashain would understand, the others came in after him, Calderon looked on the verge of collapsing.

He felt the urge to cry as he remembered where the professor had hidden it, he hoped Professor Ashain would be okay, he'd... he'd just _lost_ his grandfather, he didn't want to lose anyone else. He fought off the wave of grief and cast the levitation spell to remove the brick, the gray orb still hidden safely inside.

"I'm sorry," Varanian said abruptly looking guilty as Scorpius took out the orb, "you know for everything, getting possessed by the Shadows so they could do all this and attacking you both, the attempted murder and everything. I'm really sorry."

"Don't worry about it," Calderon offered with a tired smile but Varanian didn't look any less guilty as Scorpius reluctantly handed him the orb, he still found it hard to trust him after everything regardless of him being possessed, "come here, Scor, so I can make sure we don't get knocked down by the power of binding it."

"Calderon, can I ask you something?" Scorpius wondered cautiously as he went to stand by the assistant as he continued holding up the golden shield against the battering Shadows to defend Varanian, the headmaster transfigured a quill into a knife and slashed his palm with it.

"Sure," Calderon agreed as Varanian held the orb with his bleeding hand like Professor Ashain had done, the orb turned red and started glowing with crimson light as the blood wrapped itself around the orb.

"What... what happened to my grandfather?"

"He... he fought for control, I don't know whether he was possessed against his will or whether he just wanted to protect you more than he wanted to be on the Shadow Master's side but either way..." Calderon told him but paused as Varanian muttered something, the red melded into white and there was a flash of light, Scorpius felt himself sway slightly but was alright as was Calderon, Varanian looked exhausted though, "either way he fought off the Shadow long enough to free me, the Shadows... they can eat souls, they feed off the suffering having your soul torn up causes... it took his soul. I'm sorry, Scor, I was too late to save him."

"Those things can do _that_?" Varanian wondered looking as horrified as Scorpius felt, his grandfather hadn't just died. He'd lost his soul.

"Yes... they're really not good."

"Is there any way to reverse it?" Scorpius asked quietly and the twist of sadness in Calderon's face answered for him. The Shadows had taken his grandfather's soul. And almost everyone in the school had one of those things inside them, "why aren't they attacking you and me?"

"They need permission to possess gray souls. Look we need... we need to get moving again, the longer wait the more that can go wrong," Calderon said swaying on his feet, Varanian nodded and they started running again.

Scorpius's mind was still reeling as he ran after the adults, the barrage of Shadows was so overwhelming that Scorpius couldn't actually see beyond Calderon's light and he was glad he wasn't in the lead. He only realized they were in the girl's bathroom when Calderon hissed to open the entrance, his heart was pounding as they practically jumped down the pipe without missing a step. Scorpius felt like they were being washed away with all-consuming light as they plummeted, faster and faster and he had a feeling Calderon was making them go faster as they came out the end, being flung into the gap.

He was offered a hand up and took it before he realized it was Varanian, the thank you died on his lips but Varanian didn't seem to notice or care as Calderon snapped at them to carry on running. Scorpius really had no idea how Calderon knew the way to go, there was nothing but blackness beyond the light shielding them. Scorpius had a feeling the Shadow Master realized they were in trouble and was throwing everything into stopping them before it was too late, all they needed was to possess Varanian or for Calderon's light to falter. Calderon's maniacal laughter wasn't very inspiring as he hissed and ran into the chamber, Scorpius and Varanian still following. They were all breathless as they reached the obelisk, Scorpius was glad it was cool down there.

"We made it," Varanian breathed, standing to the right of the obelisk as Calderon stood to the left, facing down the way they'd come with his arm outstretched and light blazing out. Scorpius stood behind them beside the obelisk itself.

"No we didn't," Calderon whispered hanging his head, "I can't... I can't keep this up and activate the obelisk, I don't... I don't have the strength to put a permanent barrier in place, even temporarily. The Shadow Master win... wins the students are now an army of Shadows. We can't... we can't stop it."

"You could try to-"

"I _am_ trying but it can't... it can't last, I have no strength left, if... if I put my arm down I'll collapse. You'll be possessed, kill Scor and imprison me."

"Well what if... what if I act-"

"You're not a gray soul!"

_But I am_, Scorpius thought to himself. He knew what to so. He knew the words. The adults continued to argue hopelessly and he let it wash over him as he walked unchallenged up the steps to the pedestal, every one feeling like a momentous movement. The symbols were all still crimson from Calderon's blood, the Tiwaz rune itself actually was still wet from the blood. He studied it all carefully, hovering his left hand over the sacrificial symbol, his hand was so much smaller than all the ones etched into the stone. He slammed it down hard, cringing at the searing pain that erupted in his palm as the rune cut through his skin.

The words froze on his tongue as a horrific revelation dawned on him, on the third pulse the wardstone sacrifices would die. Abby, Albus, Rose, Michael, Nott and Varanian would all be killed, his friends would die, die by his hand. He gazed out at the adults, standing either side of the obelisk and still arguing, Calderon's knees were shaking as if they were about to give way and Varanian seemed to register the hopelessness of the situation, hanging his head and looking at the pure white orb in his hand. If he was going to do it then he had to do it now, there was no time to wait.

If he did it then the Shadows would be destroyed - not just banished - and then the school would be saved but his friends would die. If he didn't then the Shadows would win, use the children as an army and could destroy their souls like they'd done to his grandfather, his friends would inevitably be captured too. The guilt stabbed at him like thousands of knives of ice plunging into his heart but it was the right thing to do. It was like five strangers or one sibling. He couldn't be selfish.

"_I, Ecifircas_," Scorpius whispered and the two adults seemed to become aware of him again.

"Scor, no!" Calderon cried but it was lost over the thrum of the magic.

Scorpius felt like his heart was being ripped out of his chest, the flash of crimson was pulled from him and pulsed into the pedestal. Varanian's scream was lost as he fell to the ground clutching his chest like Michael had at dinner, the pure white orb floated to the tip of the obelisk. White bolts of energy cracked up the length of the obelisk and into the orb, it surged with power and a blinding pulse of white light shot out.

One down. The dark barrier was broken.

Images flashed through his mind of his friends, like a roll of silent film. Calderon fell to his knees, still holding up the light against the onslaught, his eyelids were flickering as they fought to keep awake long enough to keep up the shield. If Calderon dropped the shield then the Shadows were finished, his grandfather's sacrifice would have been in vain and the students would get a fate worse than death. The second pulse broke through the darkness.

Two down. The protective wall was in place.

Scorpius could feel his energy being sucked out of him with every pulse, his body would feel like it was jolting from the force but he it wasn't like he could tear his hand away even if he tried, even if he wanted to. But the worst part was that Scorpius didn't want to, stopping the Shadows and saving the students was more important than saving his friends. His heart both knew it was the right thing and despised him for it. The final pulse left the orb.

Three down. Everything died.

As the final wave of pure white light cascaded through the blackness beyond Calderon's light, Scorpius knew it was working. Inhuman screeches of pain were more intense then the thrum of magic, the Shadows were obliterated the instant the light went through them. There was nothing they or the Shadow Master could do to stop it. The students were safe, Molly was not. Except his other friends and Nott. And Varanian.

Calderon finally lowered his arm as the pulse left their sight, his yellow light shield vanished and he fell forwards onto the ground, his eyes closed shut. Scorpius would have turned his head to Varanian but at that moment the pulse must have reached the wardstone line because the last of his strength left his body as the spell finished. Silence. The orb floated gently to the ground. Scorpius' left hand was repelled from the pedestal, his tiny handprint left pressed permanently into the stone above all others. He collapsed weakly onto the steps before it and his mind fell into blissful oblivion.


	78. I: Gray Souls

_**To Diddleymaz:** dark chapter warning. By the way, are you going to read book 2? If you are I'll put chapter warnings in that for you too_

* * *

"Scor? Scor? Are you alright?"

Scorpius was pulled from his slumber by the sound of Calderon's voice, he could feel something gently shaking his shoulder and he shoved his eyelids open. He was lying on across the steps leading up to the pedestal, still in the Chamber of Secrets. He squeezed his eyes shut for a final moment, willing it to all have been a dream and no one was dead and no one had been possessed. When he opened his eyes though, he was still in the chamber. It was so cold. So silent. So dark. But a real darkness, a gloomy darkness not a wall of Shadows.

"I think so," Scorpius whispered back as he managed to sit up, Calderon looked relieved and seemed to have crawled over to him. He looked as exhausted as Scorpius felt, "I feel like sleeping forever."

"Forever isn't long enough," Calderon said quietly and sighed, leaning against the obelisk for support, "it really takes it out of you."

"Are the Shadows gone?"

"Yes, Scor, you destroyed them, you save the school. At least the ones in the school anyway which had to be a big chunk of what the Shadow Master controls, I reckon the Shadow Master is either seething at having their plans ruined or crippled right now from being linked to them."

"Being linked to them?"

"How else do you think they control them?" Calderon wondered and Scorpius supposed that made sense.

"Do you... Do you know why they couldn't possess me?"

"They can't inhabit gray souls unless the host willingly agrees, the Shadows can't touch us unless we choose to accept it. White souls don't have a choice and black souls forsook their choice when they gave in to the darkness in their hearts."

Scorpius fell silent, he'd never thought having a tainted soul would be any way useful. He glanced down at his left wrist and was surprised to see the bruise-like pattern was no longer peeking through the sleeve, confused he lifted his arm to look at the scar and saw it looked just like it had at the start of the year. It wasn't black or bulging out of his skin and there was no trace of the bruise-like pattern being there at all, it wasn't even tender to the touch. Had he just been imaging it all year? Was he losing his mind?

He pulled his sleeve back down and realized his hand was stinging for the first time, his palm was caked in dried blood but he could still see the Tiwaz rune marked into his flesh. That _was_ tender to touch, he realized as he traced his fingers over it. He glanced at Calderon's hands, the assistant now had a rune on both palms although one was harder to make out from the dried blood. Scorpius squeezed his hand shut

"How long we were we unconscious?" Scorpius asked and met Calderon's dark eyes.

"I don't know, I was unconscious. I only woke up a few minutes ago and went to check on you," Calderon answered and Scorpius saw a hint of anger, "what were you thinking, Scor? Risking your life like that, the obelisk could have hurt you, could've _killed_ you, do you understand? You're a child, you can't risk yourself like that."

Scorpius practically flinched at hearing the word killed, he bit his lip as the waves of guilt crashed against him as he remembered what he'd done. He'd killed his friends, his _own_ friends. Nott and Varanian too. And his grandfather had died to save them, worse than died, he'd lost his soul. His grandfather was dead. Because he'd died to save Scorpius. His friends were dead. Because he'd sacrificed them. He felt a familiar lump forming in his throat and tears built up behind his eyelids, only this time they poured out. He was crying.

"I'm-I'm sorry," Calderon apologized immediately looking guilty, "I was just worried about you, it wasn't your responsibility and I feel bad."

"I-It's n-not y-you," Scorpius sobbed trying to gulp down the lump in his throat to form coherent sentences, "m-my gr-grandf-father's d-dead a-and I-I k-killed m-my fr-friends a-a-and N-Nott an-and V-Varanian b-because th-the sacr-sacrif- war-wards d-die, I-I k-k-ki..."

Scorpius knew he'd stopped making sense from the confused look on Calderon's face but he couldn't help it, it was like the dam had finally burst and a year's worth of tears were flooding out. He cried for his grandfather losing his soul, for his friends dying, for Professor Ashain's life hanging in the balance, for being a killer, for everything the muggles had done to him, for everything the bullies had said to him, for everything that he'd been through that year that made him want to breakdown but had been incapable of letting out his anguish. Until then.

Calderon was trying to say comforting things but Scorpius couldn't hear the words over his own misery, he seemed to give up and patted Scorpius' shoulder as if trying to be comforting but not really knowing how. He buried his head in Calderon's shoulder and cried, Calderon hugged him awkwardly but he still couldn't stop crying. He cried until his eyes were sore and there were no tears left. He sniffed miserably, Calderon probably thought he was the weakest, most pathetic person on the planet at that point. He probably was.

"I'm sorry," Scorpius apologized ashamedly and pulled away, feeling the coldness of the room again.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," Calderon told him gently but Scorpius couldn't bring himself to raise his head.

"I killed my friends and Nott and Varanian, the obelisk-"

"I'm_ not_ dead," Varanian interrupted and Scorpius jumped in surprise at the headmaster's sudden voice, he looked up to Varanian walking over to them. His eyes were an ice blue and his short tawny hair looked incredibly scruffy, the scars on the edges of his cheeks and the bottom of his chin were visible but the rest weren't, he was holding the unwavering white orb in one unscarred hand and looked exhausted but very much alive, "just for the record, it might be relevant to your discussion. I was just knocked out. I can't speak for the others but I think if I'm not dead then they aren't either. How long was I out for anyway?"

"Well that's a relief," Calderon said with a weak smile and Scorpius felt both confused and hopeful at Varanian's survival, "and I don't know, we were unconscious too."

Scorpius still wasn't sure how he was supposed to feel about Varanian though, he'd spent the year loathing the headmsater and plotting to get him thrown in Azkaban for all eternity. But Varanian had been possessed. He had no trouble transferring his hatred to the Shadow Master, the evil coward had killed his grandfather, maybe Professor Ashain and tried to kill him - twice - but that didn't give him an answer where that left him with Varanian. None of that helped him understand why Varanian had survived either, did that mean his friends had too?

"We should get back," Varanian pointed out with as he rubbed his eyes and pocketed the orb, "the Ministry will need to be informed, the Aurors will deal with all this. We need to wake up the staff and make sure the students are okay or if they got knocked out too or what, we know what things are like until we get back."

"You two go, I'm just going to stay here and rest," Calderon sighed as he closed his eyes.

"We're not leaving you!" Scorpius burst out and Varanian nodded in agreement.

Calderon was reluctant for some reason but it was two against one, Scorpius was anxious to get out of the Chamber of Secrets and see if his friends were alright, he was afraid of having his hope crushed but was more afraid of not having so he clung to the sliver of a chance that they'd survived too. He needed some good news right then. It felt like forever before they got moving, leaving the bloody obelisk behind them. Scorpius lit up his wand and Varanian followed suite, it wasn't half as good as Calderon's light but the assistant didn't create any and they didn't ask him to.

"I feel like I should congratulate you or something, Scorpius," Varanian offered to him as they walked, "what you did was very brave, you saved the whole school and stopped the Shadow Master and you're only eleven. You're a hero."

"What my grandfather did was very brave," Scorpius said defensively and felt grief welling in his heart again, "and he was a Slytherin. And a former Death Eater. He saved the school and stopped the Shadow Master, we'd be dead and you'd be possessed if not for him."

"I... I know, I'm sorry for your loss," Varanian mumbled and they fell silent.

Something clicked in his mind as he thought of Varanian calling him a hero, he knew he wasn't a hero as all he'd done was willingly sacrificed his friends, Nott and Varanian in favor of stopping the Shadows. He'd _willingly_ sacrificed them. He recalled the words from the translated book: '..._the willingness to sacrifice is more important than the actual sacrifice itself..._'Was Varanian only alive because he'd been so willing to sacrifice him? Had he been so willing to kill his friends? If he was a good friend then they'd be dead because he wouldn't have willingly sacrificed them, if he was a bad friend then they'd be alive because he would have willingly sacrificed them. He was a terrible person.

When they reached the pipe entrance, Calderon did use magic though and they were carried to the surface in a wave of light. This seemed to drain whatever strength the assistant had left as he staggered and was only kept upright by Varanian grabbing his shoulder, he had to lean against the headmaster as they carried on, Calderon insisting on them checking Varanian's office first - and going with them - to see if Duvall was alive.

The first thing Scorpius noticed was that they'd been unconscious for a long time, the dawn light was peeking through the windows they passed and the early morning sky the color of blood. The second was that the occasional students they saw would flee in terror the instant they saw them before they could say anything to them, at least their eyes weren't black.

"Happy Birthday, Marius," Varanian commented and Calderon snorted in acknowledgement with a strange expression on his face.

"Happy Birthday, Calderon," Scorpius added as a third person looked at them with wide-eyes and ran away.

"Any particular reason why everyone keeps running from us?"

"Because we look like hell?" Calderon guessed and Scorpius puzzled it over for a moment.

"They probably think Varanian is behind it all," Scorpius pointed out, they wouldn't know that the headmaster had been possessed when he attacked them, they'd know the truth soon enough. He gasped when he recognized the next student they came across, Rose's bushy red hair was unrecognizable even from behind and was so was the fact she was very much not dead, "she's alive!"

"Oh, I should reverse the Shadow Master's memory spell while I have the chance," Varanian said taking out his wand as Rose spun to face the speakers just in time to be hit by a jet of white light struck her, she squeaked and fled, "think she ran away because of me or because the spell didn't work?"

"Let's go around the base of the Astronomy Tower, avoid scaring the children," Calderon spoke up, Varanian looked somewhere between guilty and miserable as he nodded, "they've been through enough."

They were just about to go outside to follow Calderon's advice when they realized they didn't need to go back to the headmaster's office to see that Duvall had survived, apparently he was a gray soul - Scorpius seriously doubted he was a white soul if he was a Shadow - as he whistled at them. The wild-eyed man with the serious overbite jumped out from behind the entrance to the Astronomy Tower steps, he wasn't what Scorpius' eyes were on though. Duvall was holding his wand over the head of his grandfather, Lucius Malfoy's eyes were glazed over sightlessly and he jerked when Duvall moved the wand.

"Watch the dead puppet dance!" Duvall taunted as he jerked his wand.

A jet of blue light was cast from Varanian's wand at the same time as Calderon shot a pulse of light from his hand towards the man, both hit their mark or would have if Duvall hadn't shot back inside the Tower with his grandfather in tow. Anger flooded through Scorpius and gave him strength, evaporating his guilt and grief and worry. How _dare_ Duvall desecrate his grandfather's body like that?! _How dare he?!_ Scorpius was running before he realized what he was doing, wand in hand.

"Scorpius, wait!" Varanian called after him but Scorpius ignored it and burst into the tower.

Duvall was faster - even with having to magically make his grandfather move - and he was howling with laughter as he ran and Scorpius just bolted blindly after him. Duvall didn't stop running until he reached the top, he stood at the top of the stairs with his back to Scorpius, his grandfather's lifeless body standing with legs at impossible angles in front of the battlements. Scorpius felt his heart surge flood with sadness about his grandfather, tears pricked his eyes again but the anger for Duvall stopped them from falling.

"Let him go!" Scorpius demanded furiously aiming his wand at Duvall's back, "or I'll curse you in the back."

"Ain't very noble for a Gryffindor, is it?" Duvall commented without moving, his wand still forcing his grandfather to remain.

"The hat put me in the wrong house. And I don't care! Let him go you piece of slime!"

"As you wish."

Duvall agreed too easily and flicked his wand at his grandfather, Lucius Malfoy's body was thrown off of the tower immediately. Scorpius' heart twisted in grief as he watched him fall but his momentary distraction was enough for Duvall to turn around and shoot a spell at him, Scorpius tried to get out of the way but it was too late and the jet caught his shoulder and knocked his wand from his grip. Scorpius went to grab it but Duvall swished his wrist threateningly and Scorpius froze, Duvall backed up to where he'd just dispatched his grandfather's body to get a clearer aim out of reach of reach.

"Imagine how the Master will reward me for killin' the failed experiment who ruined our plans?" Duvall wondered as a delusional grin distorted his face.

"Imagine how the Aurors will reward you for your crimes, more like," Varanian retorted appearing beside Scorpius as he made it up the stairs.

"I don't think so," Duvall sneered and flourished his wand, "_expulso!_"

"_Protego!_" Varanian countered and a magical shield appeared in an instant only to explode immediately as Duvall's curse struck it, magic sparks flew everywhere but they were unharmed as was the Astronomy Tower, "_stupefy!_"

Duvall was laughing again as the jet of light hit him, the force was enough to propel him straight over the parapet behind him. There was a flicker of shock on Varanian's face as they ran in unison to where Duvall had been thrown back, they could still hear his unfaltering laughter as they raced across the room but it stopped just as they reached the edge. But to Scorpius' surprise, there was only one body.

He scowled and went to retrieve his wand, Varanian was already racing back down the stairs to investigate and Scorpius wished his legs were long enough to keep up with adults. By the time he reached the bottom, Varanian was already outside and so was Calderon - albeit on shaky legs - and they were standing over the body. Scorpius reached them, extremely confused and felt another pang as he saw his grandfather's mangled body was the one who'd landed. His glazed over eyes were staring straight at Scorpius, he turned away guiltily and tried to shove it out of his mind. Where was Duvall?

"I think it was a portkey," Calderon said as if reading his mind and from the shocked look on Varanian's face, he was wondering the same, "there was a green blanket and as soon as he touched it he vanished like a portkey vanishes."

"Was... Was he dead?" Varanian asked hesitantly.

"Only one way to tell."

Scorpius wasn't sure what Calderon meant and for a minute neither did Varanian, he saw it click in the headmaster's mind and slowly Varanian slipped his hand into his pocket. The pocket that held the orb. It clicked in Scorpius' mind too, if he was dead then Varanian's soul was tainted gray. Varanian swallowed as if nervous and drew the orb from his pocket, the dazzling white was now a smoky gray just like it had been for Scorpius and Professor Ashain. Varanian didn't seem to know how to digest this and shoved the orb at Calderon who took it carefully, the orb swirled at a new soul holding it but it remained gray.

No one said a word. Varanian held out his wand and stared at it as if he'd never seen it before, his expression betrayed nothing else. Scorpius' eyes were drawn back to his grandfather, his grandfather who had given his life to save them. He couldn't believe Lucius Malfoy was dead, he'd never again see his disproving scowl or get lectured. Scorpius wondered if he'd known he would die as words from earlier in the year came to mind:

_"I love you so much, and don't you dare doubt that, no matter what else you think of me. My family is more important to me than anything, no matter what happens and you, Draco and Narcissa mean everything to me. You're the best things in my life and I'd do anything for you and... and I just want you to remember that, no matter happens, I love you."_

Scorpius felt tears prick his eyes again, they leaked silently from his eyes as he fell to his knees beside his grandfather. He reached out and gently closed his grandfather's eyes, he could almost have been sleeping if you only looked at his face, he looked more peaceful in death than he ever had in life. Something caught his eye through a tear in his grandfather's sleeve and he opened it slightly, seeing the Shadows' skeletal snake symbol scarred into the flesh. Couldn't they just let his grandfather be dead in peace?

"I love you too, grandfather," Scorpius whispered as more tears fell, his eyes apparently having found a second reservoir. Why hadn't he said that to his grandfather when he was alive? He didn't even have a soul left to hear him now. It wasn't fair. Nothing was fair.

"Scor, come on, you don't need to see that," Calderon said quietly placing a hand on his shoulder.

There was a blast of magic heard that shocked Scorpius back to reality and he was on his feet in an instant, wand ready fearfully as Varanian was thrown through the air and slammed painfully against a wall. As he spun to face the attacker, starting to curse himself for not thinking the Shadow Master would have brought reinforcements but it was the teachers. Professor Longbottom was at the helm, glowering with fury with his wand held out and clearly was the source of Varanian's attack.

Scorpius was flooded with relief to see they were alive and awake, he saw Michael, Albus and Abby amongst the staff too and he smiled widely, they were alive! He kicked his guilt down for the moment, he would enjoy knowing they'd survived for more than a second and relishing that everything had to be okay for a single second. The teachers were awake, his friends were alive and the students were unpossesssed. Calderon looked too busy staving off collapse to be relieved but Varanian's expression of panic faded as he recognized the staff striding over to him, he scrambled for his wand and got to his feet.

"It's a good thing you're okay, we-"

Varanian's sentence was cut off as Professor Longbottom launched another spell at him and he was tossed back against the wall like a ragdoll, he sat against the wall cringing at whatever pain he was and scowling in confusion. He reached for his wand and Professor Longbottom coldly stomped his foot down on Varanian's hand before he could reach it, there was a loud crack and Scorpius was sure something had broken. Professor Longbottom didn't flinch at the pain he'd caused the headmaster as he snatched the wand up, he looked like he wanted to murder Varanian. For a second Scorpius thought he would.

He didn't move his wand away from Varanian's head, after a few moments though he took his foot off of Varanian's hand without lowering his wand despite Varanian not doing anything threatening. The fingers looked like they were twisted into the wrong angles, the headmaster clutched his hand to his body protectively but seemed to understand why he was being treated like that.

"Be glad its just your hand," Professor Longbottom said so quietly that Scorpius could barely hear him and so threateningly that Scorpius almost didn't think it was the good-natured Herbology professor, "after what you did to my daughter, its better than you deserve."

"I was possessed, I-"

"Don't even try to lie your way out of this," Professor Longbottom interrupted darkly, "I'm dying for a reason."

"He's not lying," Scorpius heard himself saying and couldn't believe he was defending _Varanian_, "he really was possessed but Calderon banished the Shadow and he's... _okay_ now."

No one looked like they believed him, if anything they looked more angry at Varanian and cast him sympathetic looks. His friends tried to move over to him but Madam Hooch put her arm out to stop them as her eyes flicked to his grandfather's body, he glanced to Calderon who he expected to back him but the assistant's legs were buckling and he would have fallen onto the ground if not for Professor Hagrid catching him.

Before anyone could say anything more a flurry of broomstick sped through the sky and the fliers jumped gracefully off, they were Aurors and Molly. Scorpius recognized Harry potter immediately, looking as angry as Professor Longbottom as he cast a spell at Varanian, magical bonds immediately binding Varanian's wrists, ankles and gagging his mouth. Professor McGonagall was gently leading him away from his grandfather's body but his eyes were now on Varanian, he'd been fantasizing about Varanian being arrested all year but now it was actually happening, he didn't want it to. Why was no one listening to him?

"You're under arrest, Shadow Master," Harry Potter snapped to Varanian whose eyes bulged in surprise and he tried to protest he wasn't the Shadow Master from behind his gag but it only made it tighter.

"He's not the Shadow Master, he was just possessed!" Scorpius protested for him and all eyes went back to him sadly.

"I know you believe that," Professor McGonagall said gently, "he's altered your memory."

"No! No, he hasn't! He's_ not_ the Shadow Master! He was possessed!"

"He didn't look possessed," Molly pointed out as her eyes ghosted his grandfather's body fearfully and Varanian tried to say something else that tightened the gag more.

"Possessed people have black eyes," the sandy-haired Auror said coolly, "he was completely within his own mind, he's the Shadow Master, he admitted it."

"He isn't!" Scorpius yelled frantically, "you have to keep looking for the _real_ Shadow Master so they won't get away with this! Varanian isn't the Shadow Master and he didn't touch my memory, you have it all wrong! He just helped stop the Shadow Master!"

"I know you think that," Harry Potter began, "but-"

"I don't think it! I _KNOW_ it!" Scorpius screamed but everyone was looking at him like he'd gone mad, maybe he had but they couldn't arrest the wrong person, they'd stop looking for the Shadow Master and his grandfather wouldn't get justice. The Shadow Master deserved to pay for taking his grandfather's soul and the Shadow Master wasn't Varanian, they didn't look like they believed him, "my memory's fine! You're doing exactly what that Shadow Master wants by arresting the wrong person!"

"I think you need to calm down, you don't know what you're saying, you're not thinking straight from the trauma and memory charms," the sandy-haired Auror said and flicked his wand at Scorpius, before Scorpius could react he was asleep.

* * *

_**Thanks to:** Harry-Potter-Magic, Beccax95, BloodPixie140, Lucifersdaughter, Winged-panter1 and Aya Diefair for reviewing! Over 250 reviews, can't believe it!_

**_Questions:  
Why do you keep leaving this on cliffhangers?_**  
_Keeps you interested? _  
**_Since the Specters eat souls, are they a mutated form of a Dementor?_**  
_The answer will be in book 2 but I will say Dementors are something to do with it, the Shadow Master did grow up in Azkaban surrounded by them  
_

_**Author's Note:** Next chapter should be the last one of this book unless it gets too long and I split it but hopefully it won't because I want to start working on book 2 already. I'm not one of those people who beg for reviews but if you have any questions you want answered then ask now so I can answer them next chapter because I'm not going to start the second book by answering a load of questions in case people only are reading this one  
_


	79. I: Leaving

"Its because he's a metamorphmagus!" Calderon's voice was protesting as Scorpius was drawn back into consciousness, "the Shadows can hide his possessed eyes with his own ability."

"Nonsense!" the voice of the sandy-haired Auror snapped.

"Cel, hush. And you know this_ because?_" Harry Potter's voice prompted.

"The Shadow Master told me," Calderon answered and Scorpius heard a snort of derision from one of the men.

"It's a possibility I suppose, we've never seen the Shadow beings-"

"The Shadow Master calls them Specters."

"We've never seen these _Specters_ before then so we can't be sure what they are and aren't capable or their effect on a metamorphmagus and there's no way to test it-"

"Of course, because evil psychotic maniacs are always very truthful," the second voice - presumably Cel - retorted sarcastically, "let's release Varanian right away despite the overwhelming amount of evidence against him and the fact that _nothing_ he claims has panned out."

"Cel, if you would please let me finish a sentence," Harry said warningly, "I wasn't suggesting we release him, unless there is a definitive way to prove without a shadow of doubt that Varanian was possessed then I'm not letting him go. Every student in the school saw him declare himself the Shadow Master and set those Specters on them, we can't just release him. And the evidence _is_ against him, the last spell his wand used was the same one used to throw Lucius Malfoy off the tower and there's no evidence that anything other than the fall killed him or that he lost his soul - although again we have no way of knowing or proving that - but there is no evidence of Duvall being there at all, no one else saw him. Even those letters from 'Retsam Wodahs' weren't found, not where Varanian said nor anywhere after we tore the room apart."

"Duvall could've taken them!" Calderon protested desperately, "to frame him so you'd think exactly what you'd do now, you're doing what the actual Shadow Master wants."

"Yeah!" Scorpius called out in agreement, opening his eyes and sitting up. They were in the hospital wing, Calderon was sitting fully clothed on the bed opposite - still looking exhausted - with the two Aurors standing in between, they glanced back at Scorpius with dubious expressions when he spoke, "Duvall had plenty of time while we were unconscious in the Chamber of Secrets, I saw those letters and they do exist. It was the Shadow Master not Varanian, you have to find him _not_ Varanian. Its the truth, why won't you believe us?!"

"Varanian's proved himself very efficient with memory charms, as hard as it is for you to believe you've almost certainly had your memories altered," Cel pointed out.

"I have a perfect memory! He couldn't do anything if he tried," Calderon snapped defensively and Cel raised an eyebrow.

"Then why so vague on what the Shadow Master allegedly said to you?"

"That's... that's different. I lost a load of blood, I was having trouble focusing. It doesn't mean there's anything wrong with my memory."

"I'm sorry," Harry apologized but looked unwaveringly determined, "but we can't let Varanian go, we will carry out a thorough investigation and if he's proven innocent then I will be the first to apologize and release him. In the meantime he will kept under maximum security as soon as we take him from Hogwarts, we can't take any chances with someone who claimed less than twenty-four hours ago to be the most wanted Dark Wizard in the world and attacked a school of children."

"But he's _innocent_," Scorpius pointed out pleadingly and Calderon looked extremely conflicted for moment then looked away miserably, "it's not right to put innocent people in prison and let the real Shadow Master get away, he murdered my grandfather and took his soul."

"Scorpius, I'm sorry about your grandfather but... you're just confused, you've been through a lot."

"I'm not confused! I saw it happen. I saw it. The Shadow Master was going to kill me and he got control back and saved our lives," Scorpius snapped and met the emerald eyes that Albus shared with his dad, seeing sympathy but not belief, "your sons would still be possessed if not for him. Doesn't he deserve justice? Doesn't all those people who've been killed by the Shadows deserve justice?"

"And they'll get it, Malfoy, we'll find out the truth," Cel told him as if talking to a three year old.

"Is that it? Because I'm a Malfoy I don't get believed? And my grandfather doesn't matter?"

"It's not like that," Harry Potter said quickly moving closer to him, "you stopped the Shadow Master's plan, you saved a lot of lives, including my sons, my nieces and nephews... and I won't forget that. Ever. You were very brave. But that doesn't mean Varanian didn't alter your memory, he's really good at it and its not easy to tell or reverse it, especially not on children."

"I know he's innocent, my memory's fine."

"I-"

"We're done sealing all the exits!" a new voice interrupted and two Aurors burst into the hospital wing, "did Ellisar bring the reinforcements yet? Running thin on personnel, especially if we're going to sweep the school faster."

"What?" Harry and Cel said in unison confusion as they turned to the newcomers who exchanged confused looks of their own.

"Ellisar said Varanian escaped, you sent him to get reinforcements to search the school because he can't have gone far and to tell us to seal the exits in the meantime... right?"

"No I never said..." Harry started to say but trailed off looking frustrated as did Cel, "damn."

"I don't understand."

"That wasn't Ellisar!" Cel snapped glaring between them both, "you let yourself get tricked by a metamorphmagus, he had you seal the exits while he escaped using Floo Powder under the guise of getting help. Still think he's innocent? What kind of innocent man runs?"

"One who was going to be locked up in Azkaban with Dementors for no good reason?" Calderon guessed, despite the fact there was no more Azkaban or Dementors guarding it.

"Come on," Harry motioned for the Aurors to follow as he stalked out of the room hurriedly to go deal with it, discussing plans of recapturing Varanian and worrying over the Aurors that had been guarding him.

Scorpius sighed and buried his head into the pillow. It wasn't fair, they'd just stopped the Shadow Master and saved the school, weren't things just supposed to be okay? People weren't supposed to not believe you, innocent people weren't supposed to go to jail, his grandfather wasn't supposed to die and lose his soul. Tears welled in his eyes again and he couldn't stop them from falling.

"Scorpius! You're awake!" his mother's voice jolted him back up and he saw his parents and teary grandmother emerging from the Nurse's office with Madam Pomfrey, they ran to him and threw their arms around him. He wished he had more arms to hug them more as he buried his head in someone's shoulder and sobbed, first he couldn't cry and now he couldn't stop crying, he just couldn't win.

"G-Grandfather's d-d-dead," Scorpius managed to get out as his parents rubbed his back soothingly.

"We know," his father whispered quietly.

"Have we met?" his grandmother's voice took him by surprise and he glanced up to see her looking at Calderon with an intense expression as if trying to place him, "you remind me of someone or you look familiar."

"No. We've never met, Mrs Malfoy, I'm sorry" Calderon shook his head and his grandmother seemed to reluctantly shrug it off, going back to looking like the world had just been shattered while Calderon went to get up.

"Where do you think you're going?" Madam Pomfrey told him immediately blocking the assistant's path, "you need to rest."

"I can rest in my room."

"I can't keep an eye on you there."

"So what? You don't need to keep an eye on me, your job is to take care of students and professors and I'm neither, I'm just... nothing so back off, Madam Pomfrey," Calderon snapped in a harsher tone than Scorpius had ever heard him use to a member of staff and he'd never heard him call her by anything other than 'Poppy' before either, Madam Pomfrey look surprised and Calderon looked on the verge of tears as he went past her but Professor Hagrid had arrived and blocked the assistant instead, he was holding the last puppy, "not now. I don't want to see the puppies. I want to rest."

"This won't take a second, Calderon," Professor Hagrid promised with a smile as he sat Calderon down on the nearest bed, "tis yer birthday after all. Yer didn' think I would forge' yer birthday now, did yer?"

"I don't care. If my mother had any sense then it would have also have been my deathday."

"Don' say tha' Calderon," Professor Hagrid said gently looking slightly worried as he handed the puppy to the assistant and went back to beaming, "there's yer presen'! I know yer like 'em an' all an' yer'll take good care of her now, yer like dogs. Remember when yer firs' came here an' yer stared at Fang like yer had never seen a dog before? An' one time I said go on t' pet him an' yer sat there fer the better par' of half an hour puttin' yer hand near him then pullin' it back before yer finally stroked him, dog though' yer was mad."

"Yes and then there were lights everywhere, I remember," Calderon admitted looking confused, "what about it?"

"Tha' was the firs' time I ever saw yer smile. Reckon yer could use a reason t' smile righ' now especially," Professor Hagrid pointed out as Calderon carefully stroked the puppy who nuzzled him appreciatively, lights hovered gently around them and the corners of Calderon's mouth twitched into a smile although his dark eyes still shone with unshed tears, the professor put a huge comforting hand on his shoulder, "it'll ge' better, yer'll see. Happy birthday."

"Thank you," Calderon whispered quietly but gratefully and Scorpius realized he'd stopped crying but had zoned out of what his parents had been asking him about missing a day of school for the funeral or a part day because they knew he liked school.

"I want to go home," Scorpius told them and was surprised by how much he meant it, even if they thought he was weak and pathetic, "I just want to go home."

"Okay," his father agreed hugging him tightly, "we'll take you home."

"Thank you."

* * *

Varanian sat hopelessly on the floor - the chairs had been removed as had everything else - in the disused classroom that had been turned into a cell and earlier an interrogation room, he still felt drained from the blood runes and his eyes were gritty from tiredness despite having passed out for hours earlier. He supposed things could be worse though, his hand had been healed and best of all his head no longer felt like his skull was being torn apart, which was a big plus.

He would have looked out of the windows to pass the time if they hadn't been sealed shut, that and his ankles and wrists were shackled to the ground and the chain wasn't long enough for him to stand. It was chaffing painfully but he was trying not to think about it, he'd have to get used to it as he doubted the Aurors would be letting him go very soon or that they cared about his pain, it was pretty obvious they didn't believe him about being possessed or about anything in general. Maybe he deserved to be locked up, it was his fault for letting himself get possessed in the first place and being too weak to fight it off or even realize he was possessed, he wanted to kick himself for not thinking of that. Looking back though, it actually made a lot more sense than his own theories.

The door swung open and one of the Aurors came in, Varanian thought this was odd as it was protocol for Aurors to see prisoners in pairs in case the prisoner tried something. Unless something had happened, what could've happened? Surely the Shadows couldn't have tried anything else in the space of less than a day? Shouldn't the school still be protected by the blood runes? The Auror didn't look worried though, in fact he was smiling. He had wavy iron gray hair already but only looked in his thirties, his eyes were golden and he had his wand out as he came to stand in front of Varanian. He flicked his wrist and the chains broke, the shackles clattering to the ground and freeing his limbs. Varanian scowled as the smiling Auror aimed his wand back to him.

"Get up," the Auror commanded, "or I'll make you."

"What are you doing?" Varanian asked with a bad feeling as he reluctantly got to his feet, the Auror smirked and shattered the nearest window magically.

"What you should be asking, is what are _you_ doing," the Auror said flicking his wand and the largest shard of glass whipped through the air, slicing open Varanian's freshly healed hand painfully and the Auror's shoulder - he neither flinched or stopping smiling - before being discarded, "you used your evil powers to break free of your restraints, I valiantly rushed in to stop you and in the resulting struggle the window was broken. You attempted to stab me with a shard of glass and cut your hand in the process, you then teleported away with your powers to carry on leading the Shadows, I get hailed as a hero."

"I'm _not_ the Shadow Master."

"Oh I know, really I'm just going to murder you and leave no trace of your body. The Aurors can waste all their efforts on tracking you down while the Master recovers and our work can continue, your tainted soul is useless to us now you see so you have to die now," the Auror informed him conversationally and tilted his head to one side with a look of disappointment, Varanian's eyes darted around looking for something he could use, "I just told you that I'm going to _kill you_, aren't you going to cry? I like it when people cry."

"No," Varanian snapped, the only things near were the shards of glass and the shackles chained to the ground. He couldn't reach either before the Auror cast a spell at him, he lacked Marius' skill with wandless magic. But he heard something, footsteps? An idea came to mind and he squeezed shut his eyes, focusing on the man in front of him.

"That's too bad," the Auror mused and Varanian opened his now golden eyes in time to see the man scowl as he raised his wand, "what _are_ you doing?"

"What's going on, Ellisar?! I heard a smash and noticed you weren't outside the door," a second Auror burst out frantically as he came through the door, eyes bulging and wand out ready but Varanian reacted faster than the Auror - supposedly Ellisar.

"Quick! Stun him, its Varanian trying to escape!" Varanian exclaimed trying to mimic the traitorous Auror's voice and searched for the other Auror's name, he was sure Harry Potter had said something like 'Ellisar' and... 'Rurisk?' where their names, if they weren't then he was dead, "he got the jump on me and took my wand, switched our clothes, Rurisk!"

Varanian would have held his breath if he wasn't so sure it would have given him away but he had to have said the right name because the newcomer shot a nonverbal stunning spell at Ellisar as he started to protest, the traitor was propelled into the wall and had lost consciousness by the time he fell to the ground. Varanian snatched up the wand quickly, his heart was pounding but if they wouldn't believe him about being possessed then they certainly wouldn't believe him about an Auror working for the Shadows trying to murder him.

"Are you alright, Ellisar?" Rurisk asked with concern and Varanian remembered that was who he was pretending to be, "your hand's bleeding. What happened?"

"I heard a noise and when I came in, Varanian was breaking out of his restraints with wandless magic. I tried to stun him but he ducked and the window shattered, he hurt his shoulder and attacked me with the shard, I cut my hand and he managed to get my wand and switched our clothes," Varanian lied, it came slipped off his tongue fairly easily but Rurisk was looking at Ellisar who still obviously looked like Ellisar. Varanian gripped the wand tightly, he really didn't want to attack a seemingly uncorrupt Auror.

"Is it normal for meta-ma-thingies to stay looking like other people when they're knocked out?"

"How am I supposed to know?"

"I dunno," Rurisk shrugged before laughing abruptly.

"What's so funny?"

"He does an even uglier impression of you then you do!"

"Oh shut up, you," Varanian growled, hoping that was the appropriate response which it seemed to be as Rurisk clapped him on the shoulder in a friendly manner, he managed not to cringe.

"Best you switch clothes back and get your hand checked out, tell Potter to send more to guard him in case he tries anything like that when he wakes up. I'll get back to keeping guard," Rurisk offered turning serious again and he quickly shackled Ellisar where Varanian had been.

"_Vice versa,_" Varanian whispered, switching their clothes quickly before being waved out of the room by Rurisk as he repaired and resealed the window, leaving the room and locking Ellisar in just as Varanian rounded the bend.

He quickly conjured a bandage for his hand as he walked, wondering what in the hell he was doing. There was no way he could keep up the charade long enough to get to Hogsmeade to apparate, no reason for 'Ellisar' to be going there or anyone else for that matter. Escaping certainly wasn't helping his cause either but then again neither was dying, dying was worse especially if it was what the Shadow Master wanted, he was sick of being an unwitting aide for the damn Shadow Master.

Gears started turning in his mind and his feet started walking in the direction of his office, he didn't know if the Floo Network was back in place in the other fireplaces but it should be active in his so he could get away. If the Aurors weren't going to believe him and go after the Shadow Master then _someone_ had to, someone had to at least try and it wasn't like he had anything better to do. Assuming he could make it out of Hogwarts without Aurors or Shadows or Shadow-Aurors - was Ellisar the only one? - killing him.

He peered round the bend and saw two Aurors standing guard outside the gargoyle, talking to McGonagall. She didn't believe him either, none of the staff did. Was he really _that_ bad a person that everyone who knew him thought he was capable of being a mass murdering maniac who'd attacked the school? He knew he didn't have a great relationship with most of the staff - what was the point of getting close to people when all they did was die? - but he had known many of them when he was a student and had been a teacher for eight years there, he would find it hard to believe that McGonagall was the Shadow Master if their positions were reversed. Marius and Scorpius were probably the only ones who believed him, assuming they didn't believe the memory altering nonsense.

He hoped they still believed him, he had started to realize some of the insane thoughts he'd had had been from the Shadow Master - he thought so anyway - and if he was right then the Shadow Master had used Scorpius in some kind of experiment and would rather him be dead than against the Shadows. The Shadow Master seemed to know Marius' real name was 'Tommy Lestrange' - although Varanian wasn't sure if they'd got that from reading his mind or memories, he wasn't sure how being possessed by the Shadows worked exactly - and was terrified of his power, they didn't want him dead though but on their side, they wouldn't take no for an answer. He snapped his mind back to reality as McGonagall left, an idea formed on how to get the Aurors to leave too. It was either going to be brilliant or he would have ruined his chances completely.

"He's escaped! He's escaped!" Varanian called as he raced towards the Aurors who looked panicked, "Varanian escaped! He used wandless magic, got the jump on Rurisk. Potter wants you to seal the exits while I get reinforcements, we have to act fast before he has a chance to get far!"

The two nodded and hurriedly rushed off, Varanian quickly uttered the password and ran up the stairs to the empty office. The portraits of the headmasters had all been returned to face the correct way, rightfully so, although the ones who weren't pretending to be asleep were looking at him and reminding him how badly a failure he was. He pushed past it, he could beat himself up later. The rest of the office was in a state, everything had been overturned looking for the letters, everything was in disarray as no one seemed to have bothered to put it back in order.

He spotted the Floo powder easily enough though, hesitating as he noticed the photographs of his family discarded like trash across the floor. He couldn't resist grabbing any he could see, they were all he had left of them, he couldn't just leave them. The fire had destroyed everything, if Ethel hadn't had the sense to stockpile random things at her parents' house then he wouldn't have anything. He pocketed them quickly and grabbed a handful of Floo Powder, pausing again at he wondered whether he should go through with it but oddly he wasn't doubtful anymore, he was feeling determined. He was going to kill the Shadow Master. He was going to do something good and make things right if it killed him. He threw the powder into the flames and escaped into the emerald fire.

* * *

Scorpius left with his parents and grandmother before the sun had set, he didn't come back for the rest of the term and missed all his exams. He said goodbye to the staff because he knew many of them wouldn't be there come September - he wasn't sure he would be back in September - and Calderon but deliberately avoided seeing his friends, he couldn't face them right then. Varanian had escaped, the Aurors hadn't been able to catch him and he was long gone by the time they got to the office. Scorpius was glad. Even if the rest of the world didn't believe him, he _knew_ Varanian wasn't the Shadow Master. He'd been told the Blood Rune wards - the obelisk was magically stuck - were being removed to try break the protection in case the Shadows tried to use it again and the enchantments that protected Hogwarts were being put back in place, or at least as much as they could put back in place as some was so old it was lost or beyond them.

It was the headline the following day: _'Headmaster to Shadow Master!'_ and a whole article about what had happened at the school, Scorpius didn't even think they'd managed to get Varanian's first name right. They did credit him and Calderon as stopping the Shadow Master's plans, his grandfather was mentioned as 'allegedly' turning against his master like he had with Voldemort. It dominated the paper for weeks after, Varanian's name was torn to shreds, spat on, kicked around and dragged through the mud, he was painted as a deranged psychotic maniac who'd murdered his own family and burned himself alive for no reason other than being 'evil' but Scorpius didn't think evil people would want to burn themselves alive anymore than good people. Every sighting of him was major news and every sighting was followed by Shadow killings in that area, everyone was looking for him and Scorpius had a feeling his metamorphmagi ability might be the main reason for his continued avoiding capture.

He, his grandfather and Calderon were all in the paper too. It was a nightmare, the St Mungo's had blabbed and they knew about Lyra, Scorpius' abuse by muggles and his grandfather's headaches - even though only his grandmother had asked about them - which was all talked about, how the stress had driven his grandfather to turn to Dark Magic again and how brave and heroic Scorpius was to overcome it all, a true Gryffindor - he knew that was lies, the hat had still made a mistake. His parents tried to keep it from him but Scorpius wanted to know what was being said so he'd know if there was any fragment of his face he could show in public ever again. One of the articles had interviewed the man who had 'saved' Scorpius from the muggles, there was a picture of a pencil thin black man with only five fingered hands. He hadn't seen his savior's face but he'd had six fingers, been muscly and white but his parents confirmed the other man was the one and dismissed the one he'd seen as an underling. Scorpius wasn't so sure. Calderon's articles were less revealing, mostly because no one could find anything from his past before Hogwarts but his lack of sanity and power were discussed, the writer's best guess was he was actually an escaped mental patient driven mad by his incredible powers which was apparently a Ministry experiment.

Scorpius would be very happy to never go out in public again but he did for his grandfather's funeral and to visit Professor Ashain in St Mungo's. Not that staying at home was much better, his grandmother had lost a lot of weight and wandered around like a ghost, his mother was upset by the articles and his father was being interrogated after every Shadow-related incident in case he was a member like Lucius Malfoy had been. Aurors watched the house and Aurors followed them when they went out. He hated it so much. If he'd saved lives and stopped the Shadow Master then why was he being punished? It wasn't fair. He didn't even read the letters from his friends, he still couldn't bring himself to deal with the guilt. He hadn't been having it easy, his nights were filled with nightmares and his eyes seemed determined to make up for not crying for a year. The papers may say he was a hero but he felt worse than ever, his grandfather's absence hurt like a knife in the heart, a knife that twisted when he remembered his grandfather wasn't just dead, he'd lost his soul. He hated the Shadow Master, Scorpius not only wanted the Shadow Master to die but he wanted to kill him. Scorpius didn't even care that that made him a bad person.

It was July before things started looking up. Professor Ashain woke up. Scorpius visited him every few days, whenever his parents allowed. It wasn't so bad, Aurelius Ashain had paid for his son to have a private room so Scorpius didn't even have to be around people unless you counted the occasional healer and the professor himself. Scorpius was studying his face, the healer's had shaved his beard for whatever reason and it made him look infinitely younger. Then he noticed eyes twitching and slowly Professor Ashain started to open his eyes before cringing in pain.

"Professor?" Scorpius wondered and Professor Ashain's eyes deep chestnut brown eyes opened to look at him, Scorpius smiled for the first time in a month, "you're awake."

"It would seem so," Professor Ashain said weakly, still looking in pain and Scorpius called for a healer.

"Are you alright?"

"A bit of pain," the professor admitted trying to sit up but gave up after his face screwed up in pain, "how many hours was I out for?"

"Um... Two months."

"Two months?! Mother of Merlin!" Professor Ashain spluttered but the healers shushed him and shooed Scorpius out as they saw to him.

Scorpius went back to visit him the next day and he was awake again, more alert although still in pain when he tried to move, he asked Scorpius what had happened after he'd passed out. Scorpius had meant to just say about immediately after but the words just started tumbling from his mouth, no one had actually asked him to recount what had happened before, bits and pieces maybe but he told the professor everything that had happened - except about his wrist, he even told him about the blood rune book and his friends losing their memories so he'd understand better what Scorpius was talking about, he even managed to admit muggles abused him to explain about his boggart. He broke down crying at that and when he got to his grandfather's death and Professor Ashain just patted his arm comfortingly but didn't interrupt or barrage him with questions, he let him finish. Scorpius felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders when he'd stopped talking, the professor seemed to notice this.

"Feel better?" Professor Ashain wondered with a kind smile.

"Yes, actually," Scorpius admitted wiping his eyes.

"Sometimes talking about things helps, bottling it up inside just makes you feel more and more pressured until it inevitably comes out or just eats you alive inside."

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For listening to me and saving my life and everything."

"Its alright, you don't need to thank me," Professor Ashain brushed it off but Scorpius still was glad to have thanked him and that he wasn't dead, he liked when people he cared about weren't dead.

"Do you... Do you believe me? About Varanian not being the Shadow Master and being possessed?" Scorpius decided to risk asking, his family wouldn't look him in the eye and would change the subject if he asked them but the professor actually met his eyes and looked thoughtful for a moment before replying.

"Yes. I believe you."

Scorpius felt even better for having told someone who'd believed him, he managed a smile and asked the professor if he wanted a game of Wizard's Chess. He knew it probably made him strange but he did enjoy the game, he'd improved a lot and it was a good challenge. It distracted him from his problems and he thought - and hoped - it distracted the professor from the pain he was in, he was allergic to the main ingredient in the pain-relieving potions so there wasn't much the healers could do to help with it. He tried to visit Professor Ashain more often then, he remembered it wasn't fun lying in bed bored all day in the hospital wing unless you were asleep and the professor claimed he was in too much pain to sleep, Scorpius didn't doubt it, Professor Ashain never complained but he couldn't mask the pain on his face whenever he moved. Scorpius did feel a twinge of guilt at that but the fact Professor Ashain was alive and - now he was conscious - was expected to most likely recover made him feel a lot better. That and it was the Shadow Master who'd injured him in the first place, another reason to loathe the man.

Professor Ashain didn't have any visitors besides Scorpius until July 22nd - Aurelius had stopped coming as soon as he knew his son was awake, he still paid for the room though - which was the professor's son's birthday. Scorpius had only just got to the hospital when he was nearly knocked off his feet by two small children in their eagerness to get to their dad, Professor Ashain looked in pain as the little ones clambered onto the bed and threw their arms around him but the children didn't notice and the professor didn't seem to mind, they both launched into overlapping conversations that were spoken so fast that Scorpius wondered how - and if - the professor could keep up. Skye interrogated the healers about why they weren't working on a cure for magic before the healers angrily found excuses to leave, finally going over to her husband and kids.

Scorpius decided it was best to give them some privacy, it must have gone well though because when he visited a few days later the healers said they'd let him go home with his family the previous day. He returned home glumly, realizing how much he'd missed having someone to talk to about things his parents only told him not to worry about if he tried to bring it up. He wondered if he'd ever be able to work up the courage to open his friends' letters or to face them again, did he even have the right to call them friends after he'd almost killed them? He still felt guilty but his parents and life had other plans.

* * *

**And that concludes Book I of Gray: Scorpius Malfoy and the Blood Runes**

**By Sir Manayaz**

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**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Harry Potter, belongs to JK Rowling

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**Thanks to:**

Winged-panter1, Harry-Potter-Magic, Aya Diefair, Luc16, Diddleymaz and Lucifersdaughter for reviewing!

**I'd also like to thank everyone whose reviewed in other chapters too, anyone who has favorited, followed, read and enjoyed this story, well done for sticking by me for 79 chapters!**

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**Questions:**

**How did Albus and company not die?  
**Because the willingness to sacrifice is more important than the sacrifice itself, the fact Scorpius was sacrificing something (friendship) that meant so much to him and people who meant so much to him was enough for the magic, he completely accepted they would die and it would cause him pain but did it anyway for the greater good of protection which made it extremely powerful, Scorpius' mental sacrifice was enough without having it to take their lives

**How do you update so fast?  
**Because I have no life haha, I write part or all of a chapter every day

**Does Calderon have a mental problem or is he just generally crazy/insane?  
**That's a tough one, its kind of both. I did want him to have a mental problem originally but then I was afraid it would be too constricting to follow the parameters of something specific and already in existence. So he is basically crazy/insane but not randomly so, he's very effected by his past and has reasons for the way he acts and the things he does if that makes sense

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**Author's Note:**

So this is the end of Book 1, the first chapter of Gray: Book 2 will be written and uploaded before the end of the week if anyone is going to carry on reading (if you want to know about the origin of Specters, about Scorpius' wrist scars or wondered whatever happened to that boy Scorpius was connected to) then you might want to keep reading, there's more in it than just those things but I'm not sure what interests people exactly/what you're curious about and too many things to list anyway. I don't have a definite title yet but stay tuned


	80. II: Note

**_UPDATE!_**

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**_Author's Note:_**

_Book II in this series _**Gray: Scorpius Malfoy and the Call of the Dark**_ has been uploaded and competed_  
_Book III in this series _**Gray: Scorpius Malfoy and the Werewolf Army**_ has just began_

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**_Book II Preview:_**

_"Scorpius... Scorpius... Come to me..."_

It was August 5th. On that day twelve years ago at thirteen minutes past seven in the morning, Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy had been born. Most children looked forward to their birthdays but Scorpius didn't. In fact he was dreading it, having to be the center of attention for a whole day was a nightmare rather than something exciting like it had been when he was younger. Really he'd prefer to stay in his room and be quiet and alone like he did most days, only coming out for meals or when his parents were feeling particularly determined to spend time with him. They couldn't think of much to say though, life wasn't particularly great for any of them at that point.

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**_Thanks to:_**

_Luc16, Guest, Kazrial, Rette and Zackari Kazunite for reviewing since the story finished!_

_Vil89Six, Lucifersdaughter, Aya Diefair, Diddleymaz and SDF for reviewing the last chapter!_

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**_Questions:_**

**_Who are Molly's parents?_**

_Percy and Audrey Weasley_

_**James seems a little over the top - could you tone him down in the series?**_

_Short answer is I'm sorry but no, I promise you that James isn't all bad but he just happens to hate the main character but his development and role is something I have planned_

**_Yay Varanian escaped, will he be in book 2?_**

_Yes he will  
_

_**So he's father didn't want his son to know he was there?** _

_Ideally he would prefer that but its not so much that as he just doesn't forgive his son for killing his other son and he can't bring himself to talk/see/have any contact with him. But he still loves him and doesn't want him to die so he was there for him while he was hurt but then he woke up and Aurelius still couldn't face him_

_**Was he scared of Fang or something else?** _

_He was scared of petting Fang wrong and upsetting him or hurting him_


End file.
